


The Reaper War

by Rosebud1773



Series: Welcome to the Snark Side: A Shakarian Trip [2]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Epic Battles, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Interspecies Romance, Interspecies Sex, Near Death Experiences, Romance, The Reaper War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-02-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:13:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 80
Words: 100,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22172359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosebud1773/pseuds/Rosebud1773
Summary: And so it begins; the war with the Reapers. We knew it was coming. It's always been just over the horizon. They mean to wipe out everything we know, everything we are. I can't let that happen. I won't. We'll rally our forces. We'll face them.....and we'll win. - Commander Shepard, Alliance Navy.This story is just getting started. Nana and Lilfrey still have parts to play here. There may be others joining the cause as the story unfolds.
Relationships: Female Shepard/Garrus Vakarian
Series: Welcome to the Snark Side: A Shakarian Trip [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1595116
Comments: 636
Kudos: 135





	1. Silent Promises

**Author's Note:**

> All the characters appearing in the Mass Effect Trilogy and Mass Effect: Andromeda are copyright BioWare/EA Studios. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of Rosebud1773.

“I'm dropping you off on Palaven.” Shepard murmured against the side of his scarred mandible as they lay in a tangle of arms and legs.

“Shepard...” it was almost a warning growl that vibrated through both his sub-harmonics and his voice.

“I need you....to rally your people....” Shepard leaned in closer and whispered against the receiver under the bandage. She ran her hand over the small bite mark she had left in the hide of his neck. “I.....have to...... I have to turn myself in.”

“Hmmmm....we should do that paperwork you mentioned then.” Garrus grumbled as he carefully circled the shell of her ear with a talon.

“When the Normandy docks with the Citadel....the Alliance is going to take me into custody. I need everyone off the ship before that happens. _No one_ else is going down with me for Aratoht.” she said as she leaned back a bit to look him in the eyes.

“Then we file it on Palaven.” he raised up enough to whisper into that ear he was toying with.

Shepard drew back with a sad smile then leaned in and kissed the scars across his face. When she was satisfied she had permanently burned the memory of his face into her mind, she sat up. “The Hierarchy isn't gonna approve that and we both know it. Too much lingering tension between our races.”

“I could pull some strings....” Garrus began with a quiet trilling in his sub-harmonics that she had only just begun to notice.

“Rally the troops.... _Show_ them what's coming.” Shepard paused and bowed her head forward, resting her forehead against his. “Pull whatever strings you can.....”

“How long?” Garrus sounded defeated as he dropped his hand to her shoulder.

Shepard knew what he was really asking. He wanted to know how long they would be apart. She did not have that timetable to give him. Instead, she gave him the one she could be sure of. “We'll leave for Sur'Kesh in the morning. I wanna make sure all the Cerberus operatives are off the Normandy. We don't need them here when we start dropping the others off where they can do the most good.”

“So....Mordin goes first. Does he know?”

“Tomorrow...” she breathed quietly, closing her eyes.

“I take it that's a no. He's not going to like that, Shepard. He and Natearus have gotten pretty close.” Garrus rumbled as he reached up and traced a pattern across her cheek.

Shepard pressed his hand to her face and kissed the callused palm. She recognized the pattern he was tracing on her skin. He was clearly picturing his clan markings on her face. Her faint nod was lost in a shuddering breath as a tear slipped down her face and ran over his fingers. _When this war is over..._ She could not finish the thought, certainly could not voice it. Part of her could not imagine a time when they would not be leaping from one crisis to the next with some nightmare threatening to destroy everything they knew.

“I'm staying.” Garrus grumbled suddenly as he sat up. He wiped the stream of the tear away with his thumb.

“And take part of the blame for _three hundred thousand_ batarian deaths? …....no.....” Shepard shook her head slightly as she slowly released his hand. That last word was soft and sad.

“Then drop me off last.” he growled as he cupped her jaw in both hands, tilting her head to look her in the eyes.

Blinking, she nodded as she glanced down at his bare neck. She could see his pulse racing along the unmarred side. That was another trait most species shared when they were upset or agitated. _Or desperately in love..._... The way his neck muscles flexed with each breath, she knew he was stressed, his breathing faster than usual. The faint trilling she heard, just below her normal range of hearing, was undoubtedly keening. Turians did not cry, they keened. She knew they lacked large enough tear ducts to produce more than adequate eye lubrication. They could not shed proper tears. Everything else that was involved in crying, they were subject to, however.

“Savor the last shot, right?” Shepard nodded.

“Huh...” Garrus chuckled and tipped his head to capture her lips in his approximation of a human kiss. “Right...”

After a moment, Shepard settled down into the bed and tucked herself against his keel bone. He did not hesitate to drape his arm over her and pull her in as close as was comfortably possible. It was late and they both needed sleep. The Normandy had only been docked with Omega for roughly eighteen hours of the thirty since the destruction of the Collector Base. Everyone was exhausted and running out of energy reserves.

*

When Garrus woke, Shepard was not curled against him. He groaned and blinked the sleep from his eyes as he tried to locate her. It was unusual for her to wake first. Humans needed much more sleep than turians. Scanning the room, he spotted her sitting in the corner of the long couch, legs tucked under her with a large paper pad in her hands. The lamp on the shelf behind the couch was directed at the pad.

Curiosity drove him into a seated position as he wiped the sleep out of one eye. His voice was sleep slurred, sub-harmonics muddied. “What are you doing?”

Shepard smiled, but did not look up. He noticed the stylus in her hand then and worked his way out of bed. _What's that phrase humans say about curiosity? I....don't know,....but Vakarian, she's gonna tear your plates off.._.. He ignored that inner voice and stumbled around the coffee table to peek over the edge of the pad. His eyes widened when he saw what she was doing and carefully sat down beside her.

“You must like it...... The silence is deafening.” Shepard said, but did not look up from her work.

“It's...um...I...don't know what to say....” Garrus stammered as he watched her add the final pencil stroke to the image.

Shepard finally looked up at him before glancing back at her work. “It's a good likeness.”

“How do humans _do_ that?” his brow-plates pulled downward slightly in concentration.

Giggling faintly, Shepard held up her hand and wiggled the two extra fingers between the index and last.

“Oh, riiiight. Extra fingers.” the understanding dawned in his eyes.

“We should replace the lens in your visor before we leave Omega.” Shepard said softly. “You'll want to record an image to.....remember......”

Garrus simply nodded. He could not put voice to what he was feeling just then. She sounded as if she was not coming back. Given what she had said earlier, it almost sounded as though she thought the Alliance might execute her as a war criminal. That was a thought he could not bare. He refused to accept even a hint of the idea. There was another option, there had to be. He meant to call his father at some point before they entered Palaven space.

“Garrus?”

“Hmm...” he hummed and his eyes flicked toward hers.

“You ok?”

“Hmm...just over thinking...” he said quietly.

Shepard must have noticed the quiver that ran through his mandibles as she set the sketch pad aside on the coffee table. He kicked himself for not having better control of that as she untucked her legs to scoot closer to him. She put her hands on his knees and drew his attention fully to her. “The Reapers are still coming. Earth has to listen to me eventually. When they do, I need you to be ready.”

Garrus nodded, not trusting his voice. His sub-harmonics would betray him if he spoke just then. He had no doubt she would hear the faint keening he was barely controlling. Her hands were cold when he took them and he began rubbing the backs with his thumbs. He rested his plated brow against her forehead with slow, steady breaths as he tried to control the faint flutter of his mandibles. That was all he could manage right then. She was about to slip away from him, maybe for good. He was not sure how he was supposed to cope with that, not after the time they had so recently shared together.


	2. What Needs Done

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard plans to drop Mordin off on Sur'Kesh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A touch of AU here since I haven't covered many of the loyalty missions along the main storyline.

“Understand reasons. Still think it's too soon to return to earth, Shepard.” Mordin paced his lab. “Better to wait. Convince Council of Reaper threat. Have plenty of evidence now with Harbinger schematics.”

“STG will listen to you, Mordin. We need them if we're going to stand a chance against the Reapers.” Shepard argued.

“Good reasoning, bad timing.” Mordin grumbled. “STG already siding with you. Dalatrass is the obstacle now. Can't convince her. No, no, no. Hardheaded, opinionated, unreasonable. Won't take Reaper threat seriously until one lands in front of her.”

“Do what you can, Mordin. That's all I'm asking.” Shepard was finding it hard to reason with him. She thought Nana might be the reason. He had grown very close to the asari since she had come aboard.

“Yes. Will do what I can. Make no promises, but will try.”

“Take what you need, Mordin. We'll be in range of Sur'Kesh within the hour.” Shepard said before turning toward the door.

Thinking of Grunt and the trouble she might have leaving him on Tuchanka, Shepard headed to the mess hall with a data pad. The krogan had never seen the world of his origins. Given the krogan flare for war and honor, she had doubts whether they would allow him to remain on the planet without a clan.

_Wrex.... If anybody can help, it's him._ A light suddenly went on for her at the thought of her old friend. He was the leader of clan Urdnot, after all. Maybe he would make Grunt a member of his clan. That was the idea racing through her mind as she looked over the list of resources the ship still needed for a few ongoing repairs.

Distracted as she was, she did not see Garrus wander into the mess from the main battery. He was watching her intently and she eventually felt his eyes on her. She glanced up with a smile as she poured her coffee. A moment later she made her way over to a table and sat with him. They spent every free moment together that they could find. Time was precious and they did not have a lot of it.

“You should eat something, Shepard...” Garrus said over the scalloped rim of his kava mug.

Shepard gave a half salute with her coffee mug then took a sip, “Breakfast of champions right here.”

“Hmm...I meant food. That...” and his nose plates bunched together with one raised brow-plate and a single mandible canted slightly to the side set Shepard off into a giggle. “That's not nourishing.”

“He's right, girl. You need to eat. You're too thin.” Nana grumbled from the far side of the mess as she walked over to their table.

“Hm, later. Too much to do this morning.” Shepard watched the asari take a seat near the middle of the table. “Which reminds me.... Do you think you could handle going planet-side with a team?”

Nana tilted her head to the side and gave Shepard 'the look'. “Do I look dead yet, girl? Of course, I can handle a planet hop.”

“I mean in case there's trouble. Can you handle it? Joker said your biotics were pretty strong in the Collector base.” Shepard knew she was back-paddling, but the last thing she wanted right now was to incur Nana's wrath.

“Are you looking for trouble, dear?” Nana asked innocently.

“We're taking Grunt to Tuchanka. I thought, if you were up to it, I'd take you and Garrus with me when we drop.” Shepard suggested.

“Oh, well...in that case, I'll be ready. There's someone on that rock I should see before I return to Thessia.” Nana said thoughtfully.

“Commander, we're clear to leave Sur'Kesh anytime you're ready.” came Joker's voice over the ship's comm.

“On my way to the CIC now, Joker.” Shepard took one final drink of her coffee before she stood, nodding to Nana and Garrus. “Be ready. We'll head for Tuchanka next.”

Shepard tried not to think how this whole thing might play out. There were too many variables. She was surprised Nana had not opted to go with Mordin in some ways. The asari was tight-lipped about her reasons, however. She simply made it clear she needed to return to Thessia soon. It worried Shepard. She knew asari generally spent their last years of life on their homeworld. Nana was well past the average lifespan of her people. She knew, to her bones, the reason Nana was so determined.

Pushing that thought out of her mind, another came charging in as she stepped off the elevator into the CIC. Garrus... She did not want to leave him on Palaven. His drop was the last before she returned to the Citadel. The Normandy would be surrendered to the Alliance and she would turn herself in. C-Sec would transport her to earth. She knew, realistically, that she might never see the turian again. Dropping him on Palaven was the only way she could protect him though he might not see it that way now. She knew his heart. He wanted to stay with her, finish this thing and defeat the Reapers. She wanted that as well, but she refused to see him take blame for Aratoht. That blood was entirely on her hands and she meant to wash it clean before she returned to him. The guilt, of course, would always be there, but the stain on her record might be sponged away once the Alliance understood the reasons.

Stepping up to the railing above the galaxy map, Shepard looked it over thoughtfully. Tuchanka was their next stop. If she zigzagged around the galaxy for a few days, who could blame her. She meant to spend as much time as possible with Garrus before dropping him on Palaven, after all. These were her last days of freedom and she planned to make them count. There was no telling when she might be free to be with him again.

“Joker, our next stop is Tuchanka. You know what to do.” Shepard told her pilot.


	3. Bloodlines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nana has gone to Tuchanka with Shepard and the team in order to secure sanctuary for Grunt, but there's more to her trip than anyone expects.

Nana watched out the viewport as the shuttle took them to the surface of Tuchanka. She could not remember the last time she had been on that rock. Too long, she realized. _Maybe not long enough_ , she thought as the shuttle touched down and kicked up a cloud of dust. She watched Shepard stand and head for the hatch, Garrus close behind her. To her, the boy looked lost already. She knew Shepard meant to leave him on Palaven before she handed herself over to the Alliance.

_Fat load of nonsense that is! That moron Hackett.... Doesn't listen, doesn't realize he's sending his prized verrin to slaughter. Idiot human._ Nana's thoughts were a maelstrom of anger as she finally stood and stepped in behind the young krogan who pranced behind Garrus. She thought of that boy's aggressive behavior. No one had thought to ask her and she had not volunteered the information purposely, but she knew why he was agitated. It was plain as the nose on any face if one cared to look. The boy was becoming an adult, his muscle mass had nearly doubled since Shepard flushed him from his tank. She had seen the images.

The moment they were off the shuttle they were stopped by a pair of krogan guards. They, like all krogan, did not care for 'aliens' on their world. Shepard and her team would be tolerated due to their great accomplishments. They were to report directly to Urdnot's clan leader, however.

The piles of rubble were just as she remembered them as they climbed the incline toward clan Urdnot's heart. She hung back behind the big krogan boy they had brought with them. The guards on the dais stopped them until their leader spotted Shepard. That voice...she would never forget.

“Shepard!” the krogan bellowed. “Shepard! My friend.”

Nana watched as he gripped Shepard's hand in one of his own and her shoulder in the other as he shook it. The smile on his face was genuine, his eyes only for his friend in that moment. The others were of no concern to him.

“Been a long time, Wrex. How have you been?” Shepard asked as he released her hand.

“Leading this bunch of pyjacks.” he waved a hand at a couple of members of his clan. “I heard you were dead.”

“I got better.” Shepard crossed her arms with a cocky smile.

“You look well enough. What brings you to my corner of the galaxy?”  
“I've got a young krogan with me. I need to drop him off before I turn myself over to the Alliance.” Shepard stated as she waved a hand in Grunt's general direction.

Nana tried to make herself appear small, invisible behind the towering krogan. She knew the moment she caught the clan leader's eye, however. He glared past the youth before her and froze.

“Natearus? _Natearus_!” the voice was tentative at first and grew in strength as recognition clearly dawned.

“ _Goddess_....” Nana half groaned, half gasped as eight hundred pounds of krogan barreled at her. She was swept up into a crushing embrace in seconds. Patting his shoulder, she grunted. “Hello, Wrex....”

“Natearus,...how long has it been?” Wrex rumbled as he set the small asari back down on her feet.

“Four hundred years....give or take a decade.” she breathed a sigh of relief at her feet being firmly back under her.

Wrex took her chin between thumb and forefinger, looking her over as if memorizing the details of her face. “You've aged well.”

“And you have new scars.” Nana snarked and traced the deep claw marks across his face with a couple of fingers.

“Ha...verrin thought I was lunch.” he laughed.

“Did you eat him?”

“Best roast meat I'd had in months.” Wrex barked another laugh. Then seemed to sober as he looked her in the eyes. “I thought you'd be on Thessia by now....”

“Things to do, dear. I left Omega after my youngest refused to listen to reason. Daft girl, always was stubborn. Just like her father....”

“Wait... Are you saying Aria T'Loak is your _kid_? I though she was your sister...” Wrex seemed to be thinking it over.

Nana patted his cheek affectionately and smiled, winking at him with her last words. “Oh yes, dear. She's mine. Stubborn as any krogan. Gets it from her _father_.”

Wrex blinked a couple of times as he took her words in. Slowly his eyes refocused on her. There was an edge of danger in his voice when he finally spoke. “Natearus,....are you saying what I _think_ you're saying?”

“There's a good boy. I knew you'd figure it out.” Nana smiled mischievously.

“Oh hell!” Wrex snapped.

“Oh, it's not that bad, dear. You weren't complaining that last night we spent together.”

Wrex leaned in, his face bare inches from hers. “I thought we were both gonna die in the war. Why didn't you tell me? ”

“Well....there was the war and then the cease fire....oh, and your clan obligations and that rusty old piece of tin you were chasing after.....” Nana ticked the reasons off on her fingers. She paused for a moment as she looked him straight in the eyes, one hand on his shoulder. “And the rest of the Justicar order who simply would not have understood. I think that about sums it up.”  
“D....did we miss something here, Shepard?” Garrus asked Shepard as he moved in closer to her. His face said it all, he was just as stunned as Shepard looked.

“Oh come now, boy. You've been standing here the entire time.” Nana glanced back at the turian with a quick frown.

“How is it that you and Shepard are traveling together?” Wrex asked suspiciously.

“Well, that's an interesting story, dear. I'd love to give you the details later. I think you need to figure out what's wrong with this strapping young krogan first though.” Nana turned and patted Grunt's shoulder.

Wrex stepped up to the boy and sniffed at him a couple of times. “There's nothing 'wrong' with him. He's becoming an adult.”

“Adolescence? Can't we just take him to Omega and buy him a few dancers?” Garrus asked, there was a note of laughter in his voice that he was clearly trying to suppress.

“There are traditions, rites to honor.” Wrex looked Grunt over for a couple of minutes before addressing him. “Where are you from, Whelp? Was your clan destroyed before you could learn what is expected of you?”

“I have no clan. I was tank-bred by warlord Okeer. My line distilled from Kredak, Moro, Shiagur – ” Grunt stepped forward and began reciting his lineage.

Gatatog Uvenk protested in disgust as he stepped around to face the youth. “You recite warlords, but _you_ are the offspring a _syringe_!”

“And what are you, but the weak byproduct of the genophage?” Nana stepped between the two krogans with a murderous look. She knew very well that the genetic mutation did not favor the strong or the weak. Most krogan born after the genophage were a pale shadow of what they're race had once been.

“You go _too_ far, _asari_! You do not belong here!” Uvenk spat, stepping dangerously close to Nana. Whatever his planned action, it was not carried through as Wrex viciously headbutted him and shoved him back.

“Enough! Speak when spoken to, Uvenk. Dragging your clan to glory will not include you if you threaten my friends again.” Wrex growled. To Grunt he grumbled, “Okeer is a very _old_ name. A very _hated_ name...”

“He's dead. I am pure krogan because of him. You should be in awe.” Grunt said.

Nana rolled her eyes at the male posturing. In over one thousand years, she had had more than her fill of such things. Finally she growled at the two males, “ _Goddess_..... get to the point.”

Wrex glared at her for an instant before his attention returned to Grunt. “Of course he's dead. You're with Shepard. I say good riddance.”

“You said there were rites? What kind of rites? Will they help him?” Shepard finally stepped into what was rapidly becoming an incident.

“If he survives the Rite of Passage, he will earn the right to choose a clan.” Wrex nodded to her.

“Your clan may rule, but this _thing_ is not krogan!” Uvenk shouted and stormed off.

“Idiot.” Wrex watched him go with a grumble. After a moment, he returned his attention to Grunt. “So, Grunt? Do you wish to stand with Urdnot?”

“What does the rite of passage require?” Shepard asked.

“Not for me to say, Shepard. The shaman will discuss that.”

“If he joins clan Urdnot, will he be allowed to remain on Tuchanka?” that was the reason the Normandy was here, after all.

“Clan Urdnot is strong and the others will do as I say. They see the benefit of my vision.”

“What happens if he doesn't do this rite of passage?”

“If he was left here, he'd be killed. The clanless are not respected. A tank-bred would most likely be fed to the verrin.” Wrex shook his head.

“It's your choice, Grunt. You can still go to Thessia with Nana.” Shepard indicated Nana with a slight wave of her hand.

“I will do this rite. Fighting is in my blood. It is what I am for.” Grunt grumbled.

“Good boy! Speak to the shaman, he'll set you on the path.” Wrex smiled, showing more of those krogan teeth than Nana was strictly comfortable with. To her, he said, “You and I have matters to discuss, Natearus.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter gave me a couple of fits. A bit of AU in the timing due to having not covered a good many of the loyalty missions in part one. Plus it gave me a good place to reveal another of Nana's secrets.


	4. A Question of Fatherhood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wrex corners Nana with the question he's been meaning to ask.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapters seem to working for the moment. =)

“You know, dear, Shepard's expecting me to run with this team....” Nana began when Shepard and the two males headed toward the krogan shaman.

“Not until I have some answers, Natearus.” Wrex grumbled as he settled himself back into his throne.

“And what answers are those, Wrex?” she asked innocently.

“Aria... She mine? Did you do that asari thing and conceive her from my....whatever it is you asari use?” Wrex asked in a low growl.

“I swore the Third Oath of Subsumation to you Wrex. It binds me to you until I fulfill the oath, you release me or one of us dies. We were supposed to be a team in the rebellion, but you were young. I knew you'd take off.” Nana began as she climbed up to sit on the arm of his throne beside him. “Clan came first and when the call to war finally came, you were gone.”

“Sounds more like an excuse than an answer...”

“Yes, you're Aria's father. I did do that 'asari thing' and recombined my DNA with your essence to conceive her. Is that what you wanted to hear?” Nana finally admitted.

Wrex said nothing for several long moments. He merely watched the small blue woman at his side. Four hundred years and he had never suspected what she had done. He was no scientist, he did not understand how the asari reproduced. Part of him doubted anyone really did.

Finally he asked Nana one of his most pressing questions. Simple though it was. “Why?”

“Because I knew I might never see you again. I wanted your line to continue, even if that line was not among the krogan. Something of you needed to remain in the galaxy. That something is Aria, stubborn as she is.” Nana said forcefully.

“So it's true. You did love me.” Wrex muttered.

“I did, yes. Still do, but it's different now. Too long apart, I suppose.” Nana admitted in a reflective tone. After a moment, she leaned against his arm. “Release me from the Oath, Wrex. I'm old, but I can still serve as a Justicar in my final days. This war Shepard fights, it's so much bigger than all of us. I can still fight and I will, but only if I'm free of this last obligation.”

“Fine,” Wrex sighed with a grumble under his breath. “You've fulfilled your oath, you kept me alive long enough to see my bloodline continue. I'll acknowledge Aria, but the clan won't accept her as my heir. Only a krogan can lead the clans.”

Nana smiled a sad, weak smile and patted his cheek. “You tried, dear. The oath remains....”

“Damn the genophage....!” Wrex snarled.

“A cure, that's what you need. It's time your people were free of that curse. Maybe that lovely salarian boy aboard Shepard's ship knows a way.” Nana murmured in thought.

“You like him, huh? Maybe I won't eat his liver then.” Wrex laughed then waved her off. “I'll contact Joker. He can patch a call through to the salarian. Go on... Go join Shepard and her team in the rite. That boy is gonna need all the help he can get to pass through it.”


	5. Reflections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nana tries to reassure Shepard as they return to the Normandy.

Shepard was impressed with Nana's biotic skill. She was every bit as powerful as Samara. Her thoughts turned to the warrior as the shuttle left Tuchanka's atmosphere. She had remained on Omega as she had said was possible if she survived the suicide mission. The woman had killed one of her own daughters on that space station. The commander wondered if she would have been able to return to a place that held so many traumatic memories. Then she thought of Garrus. He had nearly died on Omega, in her arms. A shudder passed through her at the thought and she knew the truth of it. She would never be able to set foot on the station again if he had died there.

The turian was the love of her life, though she had yet to tell him exactly how she felt. Waiting for him to say it first might not be the best option either under the circumstances. Their time together was growing shorter. Nana would be the last to drop off before the Normandy made its way to Palaven. She rubbed a hand absently over the bite mark high up on her shoulder. He had done it in the throes of passion, but it meant something to him. Even still, they had never discussed more than 'blowing off steam'. She could not be sure how deeply committed he might actually be. After Kaidan and the cruel things he had said to her, she realized she was afraid. _Commander_ Shepard, fearless captain of the Normandy, defender of the galaxy, was utterly terrified to learn exactly how Garrus really felt about her. _God, you're pathetic_ , she scolded herself.

Shepard leaned back against the seat in thought. The uncertainty must have been painted on her face because Nana patted her hand with a reassuring smile. “It'll all work out, dear. You'll see.”

“I hope you're right, Nana.” Shepard whispered. She could not see a clear path to navigate through the coming storm.

The asari leaned in and whispered with a snicker. “Marked you, didn't he. Told you he would. You belong to him now. He won't let you go so easily. You'll see.”

When the shuttle set down in the shuttle bay, she was the first to exit. She did not wait to see where Garrus would go. Instead, she shot straight for the elevator. There were some things she still needed to do, laws and customs to look up. Some research might do her good, take her mind off the things that had yet to be said between herself and Garrus. He was not avoiding her. Quite the opposite actually, but their time together seemed strained somehow. She knew her decision to turn herself in weighed heavily on him. He was carrying the galaxy on his shoulders lately just as much as she was. Neither of them were looking forward to being separated. She was certain he would not know exactly what to do with himself once he was alone on Palaven. Shepard knew she would be lost without him when she returned to earth. Likely long before she ever left the Apien Crest.

Earth, she had to go. They both knew it. She would not be able to face her own reflection in the mirror otherwise. He might not be able to look her in the eyes with the same level of respect either. As much as he claimed to be a rebel, she knew, deep down, he was still loyal to the Hierarchy. His people believed in always facing whatever was to come with their eyes wide open and a weapon in their hands. It was turian nature and it extended to accepting disciplinary actions as well. She meant to honor him by facing her own. _If...._ _ **When**_ , she corrected. _I'm released, I'll be able to face him knowing I did the right thing_.


	6. A Justicar's Oath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nana departs for Thessia with a few more words of encouragement for Shepard.

“You'll be fine, dear. That irritating admiral promised he'd give the Alliance a fight over that nasty business with the Alpha Relay. I may not like the man, but I trust him to keep his word. Made sure he knew he was staring down a Justicar when I confronted him. Had no idea what I might do to him.” Nana chuckled at the memory as she squeezed Shepard's shoulder in reassurance. “Thought the boy was gonna wet himself.”

“Hackett?” Shepard asked with a faint frown.

“Yes, dear, that's the one. Had some words with him after your call. Wasn't terribly impressed with his reasoning for sending you into that mess in the first place.” Nana nodded.

“He sent me.....” Shepard began.

“To keep the heat off himself, girl. You know it. He could have taken a leave of absence and gone himself. He could have sent that Alenko boy in. I hear he's a candidate for Council Spectre now. Would have tested his metal good.” Nana cut her off and gave a healthy does of her opinion on the whole situation.

“What about your oath to Wrex? Has it been satisfied?” Shepard changed the subject.

 _Good at that, aren't you girl? Always changing the subject when you're uncomfortably facing those personal matters_. With a sigh, she decided to answer that question, however. “Not yet, child. He has no krogan heir. Seems the clans won't accept Aria being an asari. The genophage is preventing him from producing offspring.”

Shepard nodded in thought, but did not reply.

“There may come a time when you need to use that as a bartering chip. Don't be afraid to use it. The krogan need a cure. I know Mordin has Maelon's research. Make sure he keeps it safe. It might just come in handy.” Nana continued.

“I'm surprised you didn't go with him when we dropped him on Sur'Kesh.” Shepard said softly.

“Things to do on Thessia, dear. Final rites to see to. My time is short, I know it must be. I'll do what needs doing, then, if I'm able, I'll join this fight of yours.” Nana looked her in the eyes then with all the seriousness she could muster. “The whole of the galaxy is at stake, child. I'm a Justicar. I can't sit by and watch such injustice unfold without a fight.”

As soon as the shuttle touched down on the surface of Thessia, Nana stood and drew Shepard into a tight hug. It lasted seconds before she released her. “Be safe, child. Spend as much time as you can with that nice turian boy of yours before you leave him on Palaven. He needs you as much as you need him. You'll get through this. I have faith the goddess will guide you along the right path.”

With that, she left the confines of the shuttle and quickly disappeared. Shepard pounded on the bulkhead between the passenger compartment and the cockpit of the kodiak to indicate they were ready to return to the Normandy. The trip was filled with silence.


	7. A Call Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus finally makes the call to his father.

Garrus synced up the video chat when he dialed his father. He realized it was time. The damage done to his face on Omega could not be hidden from his family forever. Solana was already upset with him for avoiding video calls for months now. He realized she might not want to speak to him again after their last call. By now, she had to know the fee for their mother's treatments had been waved by a generous donation of 'raw materials' to Helos Medical Institute. Mordin had seen to the STG clearance needed to access that material. He had also provided the samples themselves from the Collector tissue retrieved from their ship. Garrus had had them shipped to the institute along with most of the credits from his last several paychecks. He thanked the spirits he was still receiving pay from his military service. Cerberus certainly did not pay non-humans very well at all.

The instant the video link connected, his father leaned back in his chair. It issued a loud squeal of protest. His eyes widened as he looked his son's face over. “ _Spirits!_ What happened?”

“I....uh....had a rocket for lunch.....” Garrus meant to come off smooth and snarky and instead sounded decidedly meek.

“A rocket.... What I see around the edges of the bandage looks bad enough. I imagine the rest of the wound is much worse.” Castis nodded slowly.

“Yeah, you could say that.” Garrus tried not to relive that memory.

“You survived, that's what matters.”

“I...uh....I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Commander Shepard. She showed up in the nick of time. Saved my life....” Garrus' voice and sub-harmonics carried all the respect and love he felt for her.

Castis watched him for a moment, expression unreadable. He seemed to be listening to the tone of his son's sub-harmonics closely as he tilted his head slightly to the side. Finally, when he spoke again, his response sounded more like a statement of fact than a question. “You're in love with the human, aren't you, son?”

Garrus could not look his father in the eyes for several long minutes. When he finally did, he knew the truth of it was in his own eyes. He could not suppress the way his sub-harmonics seemed to sing with the thought of her when he spoke. “Yeah....”

“Well...” Castis leaned back a bit from his console. Garrus heard his chair squeak again.

“Dad...” Garrus began, hoping he could derail the harsh words and bitter judgment he knew were about to come. His father did not care much for humans. That was not to say he hated them. He simply did not completely trust them. It was the same for all turians who had fought in the Relay 314 Incident. Shepard's people called it the First Contact War.

“I had hoped you'd choose a turian mate. As my only son, you know certain things are expected of you,” Castis held up a finger before Garrus could do more than open his mouth. “but...something can be worked out later. Tell me about the woman who has stolen your heart.”

Garrus stared at his father's image, his mandibles drawn in tight. Nothing, no sound at all came from him. He could not put voice to all the things he needed to say. Shock or relief, he was not sure which to feel first. His father was taking this much better than he had thought he might. _Maybe it's because of Mom. How much more of her life has she forgotten? It has to be killing him to watch her slowly lose her mind like that. I don't think I'd survive it if it was Shepard in her shoes._ When it struck him what his father had said, he nodded faintly. His father had said something could be worked out later on. He would hold him to that suggestion.

Castis pressed him as he leaned forward once again. From the silence, he had apparently realized his son was not going to be forthcoming with information. “So you haven't told her your position in the clan. Have you even bothered to informer her of your rank? Does she know you're Cabal?”

“She...uh....she knows about the biotics. A sparring match....got a little....out of hand.” Garrus admitted.

“Forced your shields, didn't she? Should have known it would happen with another biotic someday, Garrus. Couldn't hide it forever.” Castis was nodding his understanding.

“I...hmm...I didn't...... She doesn't know my rank. I've never served in that position, doesn't seem real.” Garrus stumbled over his statement.

“Well, I suppose that doesn't really matter anyway. I seriously doubt the Alliance or anyone else outside the Hierarchy would care what your rank is so long as the two of you work well together.” his father said thoughtfully. “And the clan? Have you told her anything about the clan?”

Garrus shook his head once before confessing, “I marked her, Dad. Before we destroyed the Collector base.”

Castis let out a sigh and pinched the soft tissue behind his upper nose plate. “Ahhhh,...spirits,... Garrus....”

“Look.... it happened. It wasn't like I planned to do it. Wasn't even sure I was going to go through with....well....you know....” Garrus defended himself.

“I know, son. When it's the right one, it just happens. The urge is too strong to fight. Doesn't normally happen outside our own species, but there have been a few cases.” Castis blinked and looked his son in the eyes again. Then he confessed something himself. “It was the same with your mother.”

“Riiiiight.... Mom mentioned that.....years ago.” Garrus gave his father a small smile. “I need a favor, Dad...”

Castis was staring at him now. The look on his face told Garrus he knew exactly what his son was about to ask. After a few seconds he confirmed it. “You want to make it legal, don't you?”

“Hmm...” Garrus nodded. Then he filled his father in on his reasoning for pushing for legal bonding so soon. “She's in trouble, Dad. A mission gone sideways in the Bahak system....”

“I heard the system was destroyed. Commander Shepard, _risen from the dead_ , launched an asteroid into the relay. _Spirits_ , Garrus, you had to choose the deadliest female in the galaxy, didn't you?”

Mandibles flaring, Garrus gave his father a crooked smile. “You know me....”

“Spirits help me, son. I know you're likely to get yourself killed chasing after that woman.” Castis paused and shook his head. Then he locked eyes with Garrus. The seriousness in his face seemed to radiate across the airwaves like heat. “Does she even know the meaning of what you did?”

Garrus drew his brow-plates down and his mandibles in tightly to his face in a frown of concentration. “I think she does.... She's been putting quite a bit of research into our...uh....culture.”

“Make sure she understands. Make it clear to her the significance of that bite, son. She's human and humans don't always understand us.” Castis paused long enough that Garrus began to wonder if the link had been disrupted. Finally he said, “I need to meet her, face-to-face. I want to look her in the eyes and see for myself what kind of person she really is. If I find her agreeable, then I'll pull whatever strings I can. We may be able to extend _some_ protection to her as your betrothed.....”


	8. The Cheap Stuff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of the bottle of cheap wine he had brought to her quarters that first night felt as if it were the end of his time with Shepard as they headed for Palaven.

“We'll reach Palaven tomorrow night.” Shepard murmured as she tucked herself against his side on the couch. She swirled the wine around her glass thoughtfully.

The cheap stuff was not as awful as he had feared it would be. It certainly was not one of the better blends, however. It left a bitter aftertaste on the back of his tongue. From the look that crossed her face when she took a sip, he knew it must be worse than he thought. _At least this is the end of the bottle. Next time...I'll get the good stuff._ He took a breath and held it, letting it out slowly so as not to draw her attention to his distress. _If there is a next time._ He was not sure she would actually board the shuttle with him and see him to the surface of his homeworld. The hope was that she would. His father would be waiting. He meant to meet with Shepard, discuss how the Vakarian clan and potentially the Hierarchy might help should she stand trial for the destruction of the Bahak system.

Garrus and Tali had already gone over the audio logs Shepard had recorded during the mission. The evidence stacked against her was more like a house of cards. Neither of them expected it to hold much weight in an actual trial. After all, Hackett himself had said nearly the same thing to her when he debriefed her.

The batarians wanted a scapegoat, however. Garrus could see the whole thing going sideways quickly in order to prevent war with them. His father had a team ready to examine those audio files for any scraps of evidence he and Tali had missed. Anything that might prove Shepard had done everything in her power to prevent the destruction of the Bahak system or at least warn the batarians. Since the turian people were virtually the galactic police, the Hierarchy had surveillance in many of the less than stable systems. Bahak had been one of them due to the large batarian presence. There might well be substantial evidence in her favor. They just needed her to remain on Palaven long enough to pull those files. Once they had them, she could take them with her back to earth.

Convincing her, he realized might be harder than he thought. She was determined to return to the Citadel as soon as she dropped him off. From there, she would be headed for earth, likely under arrest. He had even resorted to reminding her of her current military status. The Alliance, humans in general, were funny about that. Udina had created such a stink about the Council reinstating her Spectre status, that Anderson had left her KIA status standing. In truth, she had absolutely no obligations to the Alliance under those circumstances. He knew, however, that her sense of honor was the driving force behind this whole thing. She was right, she would not be able to face herself in the mirror if she did not do this.

“This..is....” Shepard took one final sip and set the wine glass down.

“Terrible, I know.” Garrus hummed and nuzzled his nose against her ear. Human ears were odd things and clearly sensitive, he had come to realize in his brief experience with them. He found hers fascinating.

“Not quite....what I was going to say....” she let out a contented sigh.

“No....still true.” he said with a building purr against her ear.

Shepard smiled with a hum of her own. The wine was truly awful, he could see it on her face. He knew she would never admit to him just how bad it was though. She did not want to offend him. It was, after all, the best he had been able to afford. He sighed inwardly at that. The treatments for his mother's Corpalis Syndrome were outrageously expensive. Even with clan resources, his family could not afford them without the credits he had contributed. True, the fees for her stay at the institute had been waved, but that was all. The rest had come from him, in one form or another.

The quality of the bottle did not seem to matter to either of them, however. It had still done the trick. The alcohol had relaxed them both. The strained feeling between them over the coming departure had vanished almost entirely. He could almost believe this was the night after the Collector base. They had been completely relaxed in each other's company that night. Each had been sore from combat, but it had not mattered.


	9. Meeting on Palaven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard accompanies Garrus to the surface of his homeword. His father is waiting at the landing site to meet them.

Garrus had already cleared his gear from the main battery. It was tucked away in the shuttle bay waiting to be loaded on the kodiak. Shepard watched as he looked it over before tucking it into one of the shuttle's external cargo compartments. She realized he did not have much to speak of. A kit bag clearly containing the few personal affects she had noted over the last year. The turian cot he had used in the main battery was rolled tightly into a single trunk to be stored in the cargo bay. That she knew he meant to leave behind, just in case. When he left the Normandy, Shepard was sure he intended to be fully outfitted in his armor. His armor trunk held nearly everything else, but his Carnifax pistol.

Watching as he strolled up the ramp into the shuttle, Shepard followed him a moment later. She had opted to wear her armor for this and so she had polished it to a high gloss. Battered though it was, it still represented a show of strength. If the meeting she knew was likely to come had been diplomatic, she might have opted into wearing her dress blues. Given the military nature of the turian people, she knew her armor would gain her more respect in their eyes.

Garrus had given her virtually no details of what to expect when they landed. His father would be waiting, expecting to meet her. That was all she knew. It was enough to make her suspicious of what he might be planning. That did not mean she was going to avoid being close to him on the way to the surface, however. Quite the opposite actually.

The moment he sat, she took the seat beside him. His hand found hers before she had even settled in. Three fingers entwined with five still felt strange even through gloves, but she found she liked the differences. This was Garrus, the man who had stood by her through thick and thin. He had believed in her when no one else had. She smiled as she looked down at their joined hands and realized he had accepted her as she was, unconditionally. He had followed her into hell and back firmly believing that she was still, in fact, herself no matter what Cerberus had done to her. The deep trust that had begun on the SR-1 had grown into so much more on the SR-2. No matter how bad things went on Earth, she meant to come back for him if at all possible.

The ride down to the surface was too short for her taste. These might well be her final moments with the turian and still she could not bring herself to tell him what he truly meant to her. _Maybe it's better this way. If the worst happens, he'll be able to move on without the guilt of wondering what might have been. I wouldn't hold it against him if he met someone and had a family if I can't come back to him. He deserves happiness, peace....after all he's been through_. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess as the shuttle settled on the ground. She leaned into him for a moment, her hand tightly gripping his before she released it and stood. Nodding, she headed for the hatch.

Palaven was bright, much brighter than Earth, she realized as the hatch opened. They had chosen a landing site with lower radiation levels so that she could see Garrus to his destination safely. The next thing she noticed was the heat. The air was at least as warm as the main battery tended to be. No wonder he liked it in there so much. It must have reminded him of home, she realized.

Buildings, tall, abstract and very much a reflection of turian art stood in uniform rows fanning out from the landing site. There was one structure in the distance that reminded her distinctly of the pyramids on Earth. The scent of flowers came to her on a lite breeze that almost smelled of roses, but sweeter, as if dipped in honey. The blue of the sky nearly matched the shade of the eyes she had come to fiercely love.

Garrus stepped out onto the surface first and took a deep breath, eyes closed, face tilted upward into the sun with a wide spreading of his mandibles as his mouth opened slightly. She followed him, unsure if she had ever seen him smile quite like that before. It made her heart skip to realize he must have honestly been homesick this last year. _Longer_ , she reminded herself. There was no telling how long it had really been since he had last set foot on his homeword. The same feeling would take her when she set foot on Earth again, no matter the circumstances, she was sure of it. It was the nature of sapient life to miss their place of origin.

After a moment, he seemed to focus on the pale turian with the same blue color in his clan markings. Shepard took note of the differences in their markings. Where Garrus' markings formed a kind of mask across his face and mandibles, the other had stripes running down his brow-plates in a triangular pattern as well as a couple of wide bands on his cheekbones. His mandibles were completely bare and stark white.

Shepard watched as Garrus approached the male and realized this must be his father. At first, it appeared as if the elder Vakarian was simply going to shake his son's hand. She smiled faintly when he grabbed Garrus and pulled him into a tight embrace, awkward thought it was with his armor in the way. The sudden exhale of shock from Garrus told her this was not a normal response from the man. As she compared their coloring, she realized Garrus certainly did not get his silver-gray plate coloring from his father. That must come from his mother.

After a moment, his father released him and withdrew. His eyes traced the bandage and scars thoughtfully. Shepard's brows raised at the similarities between their voices when he finally spoke. Where Garrus' voice seemed to carry a note of mirth most of the time, his father's sounded flatter, if a bit more mature.

“Welcome home, son.” the elder Vakarian said simply.

“Dad...” Garrus nodded before glancing behind him at her. He motioned her forward, seeming surprised that she had held herself apart from this reunion. “This is Commander Shepard. Shepard, this is my father, Castis Vakarian.”

“It's an honor to meet, you, sir.” Shepard incinded her head slightly to him as he took her hand in a firm, but brief handshake.

“The honor is mine, Commander.” Castis said and then motioned toward a waiting car. “Come, please... I've reserved seats at a local diner. I hear they serve some of the best levo cuisine in the district.”

“I should return to the Normandy. Duty calls.” Shepard tossed out her first excuse. She was not prepared for such an invitation.

“Alright, I'll be blunt. My son has been very reckless over the last two years. Garrus has never been given to recklessness. Since your.....death....he's been withdrawn, distant from the clan. He's been fiercely loyal to you even to the point of risking his life since the moment he first met you.” when it became clear she was about to speak, he held up a hand. “Please, allow me to continue.... I've seen a dramatic change in him since your.....return.... He's become much more level-head, more focused and determined. My _son_ has returned from whatever hell he allowed himself to sink into. I believe that's your influence. I wish to know more of the woman who has inspired such a change.”

“I...uh....” Shepard began. She wanted to retreat to the shuttle, but something within demanded she stay. The ice around her throat shattered and she found she could speak once more. “I'm just a soldier...”

“A very good one then, but I believe there's more to it than that.” Castis continued to prod her.

“Alright, I think we can spare some time. You mentioned a diner? Seems I'm....a little over dressed.” Shepard indicated her armor.

“Of course...” Castis nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there's just a very small clip of Castis chatting with someone in ME:A [I have not played that particular game as of yet]. There's a whole comic devoted to Garrus and his relationship with his father. Given those tidbits, I still fell as if I'm winging it with his personality, but there's a muse for that..lol.


	10. Clan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castis is determined to see what kind of person Shepard.

Castis sat across the table from the human, studying her. He had given her time to stow her armor in favor of something more fitting a luncheon. She now wore a Cerberus uniform with the logo removed. At first, that had caused him a great deal of concern. The fact that the logo was removed spoke volumes, however. He knew he would pry those details from his son later.

Shepard's actual appearance meant little to him as he was no judge of human beauty. The way she moved, how she answered questions, the way she glanced at his son or simply watched those around Garrus told him everything he needed to know. This woman did whatever it took to get things done. She struggled with regret over the decisions that had unavoidably cost lives. Her morals seemed sound to him. Normally he would not have thought that of a Spectre, but this one was different somehow. She was clearly in love with his son by the way her face seemed to soften each time she glanced his way.

“There are a lot of rumors going around about your death, Commander. I thought maybe you could shed some light on the truth behind them.” Castis locked eyes with her.

“What have you heard?” Shepard shifted in her seat slightly. The retired C-Sec detective in him took note of the action; mild discomfort.

“Well, for starters,” he paused to take a sip of water from a scalloped glass. “the official word is....you're dead, killed in action.”

“I got better.” it sounded like a well practiced line. A relaxed expression on her face.

“Clearly. The question is, how?” Castis had some of this information, but he wanted to hear it in her words. He needed to gauge how much of the truth she was willing to impart and her feelings on it.

Shepard delayed that answer by raising her own glass and taking a sip. Her brows drew together slightly as her mouth puckered a fraction and she tilted the glass to look at it thoughtfully. Finally she looked up at him and asked. “What's in this?”

“Water with a twist of tholam berry. Completely levo-safe. Nothing to worry about.” Castis answered promptly. He wanted his guest comfortable, relaxed otherwise he knew he would not get the information he sought.

“It's sweet...” Shepard nodded and took another sip for a better taste. Her eyes darted toward Garrus before settling back in her seat. “That last question....the answer is, um....loaded, sir”

“This is an informal lunch, Shepard. Please, call me Castis.”

She nodded, “Alright, Castis. What do you know about Cerberus?”

“More than I care to. Had a few run-ins with them during my time at C-Sec. Pro-human bunch, lots of underhanded dirt to dig through whenever they're involved.” he gave her the best answer he could, but he was not sure what they had to do with her resurrection.

“They.....rebuilt me. The logs I found on Lazarus Station......they claimed I wasn't much more than meat and tubes on a slab when they first started. I have no memory of it. Nothing until I woke up on the station in the middle of a firefight.” Shepard shifted in her seat again as she gave her explanation.

Castis took the information in silently. He watched her a bit closer for a moment. More discomfort, but there was truth in her words. She maintained unwavering eye contact with him. If she had been lying about her level of awareness, she would have glanced away at least once. It was a common tell among all species.

Glancing down at his glass, his brow-plates drew down slightly before he looked back into her eyes. His next questions, simple though they were, carried the weight of the entire conversation thus far. “Why? Why bring you back? The resources required for such an endeavor must have been.....astronomical.”

Shepard shook her head with a sigh. “I honestly don't know. The Illusive Man thought I was the best hope the galaxy has at defeating the Reapers.....and then he demanded I give him the Collector base, intact. I couldn't do it. That base was an abomination. The Normandy and most of her crew cut ties with Cerberus over the idea of what he might do with the Reaper tech.”

 _A Spectre.....exercising unlimited power with moral reasoning? I never thought I'd see the day. Could it be that a good soldier might equal a good Spectre....now there's something to consider. This Commander Shepard seems...._ The thought was lost when he spotted Solana entering the diner. He did not press Shepard about the Reapers. Garrus would give him that information later, he was sure of it.

When Solana entered the diner, she headed straight toward Garrus. His back was to her and she took advantage of it. She was angry with her brother and rightly so. The second she was within arm's reach, she grabbed the center spine of his fringe and pulled upward, not enough to snap the spine, but enough to cause pain. To a human, it would have been like lifting their fingernail and nearly tearing the quick. Garrus yelped and Shepard all but came out of her chair, a murderous look on her face. If Castis had not held up a hand, he thought there might have been blood on the carpet at his daughter's expense. It brought a faint smile to his mandibles that he could not hide.

“Hi,....Sol.. Uh...mind letting go? You know that _hurts_.” Garrus grumbled, his sub-harmonics issuing a vicious growl.

“What were you _thinking_ all these months? You know it wouldn't have killed you to vid sync once in a while. Mom _barely_ remembers your face, even when I show her _pictures_.” Solana snapped, giving the center spine a painful twist before releasing her brother. She seemed smugly satisfied with his sharp intake of breath at the added discomfort.

The moment she stepped around to face him, she nearly fell into a chair with a gasp. Eyes locked on his damaged face, her mandibles dropped below her jaw even as it opened. When she was finally able to speak, she reverted to the nickname she had given him when he was only a few days old. “ _Spirits....! What happened_ , baby quill? Is _this_ why you wouldn't vid sync?”

“Uh...yeah, Sol. Didn't...uh....didn't wanna scare Mom.” Garrus said softly as he rubbed the top of his head and fringe in an effort to sooth the discomfort his sister had caused.

Castis glared at his daughter for a moment and gave her a faint shake of his head. His attention returned to the human at the table. He noted that she had relaxed back into her chair at the discovery that the newcomer was not a real threat. Even still she remained alert, ready for trouble, defensive. He was certain she might well physically put Solana in her place should she put her hands on Garrus again. His chuckle slipped out under his breath at the thought. _Good woman, better soldier. I now see something of what Garrus sees in her. A pitty she's not turian. They might have had fine, strong children together._ The fact that she was ready to jump to his son's rescue at the slightest provocation impressed him. It gave him hope for the future to see a human showing that level of care for one of his people.

“I want details, Garrus. How did _that_ happen? How the hell did you survive it?” waving a hand at his face, Solana asked the questions their father had been dying to ask.

Garrus gave them the details, as he remembered them. It was clear he was not overly thrilled in reliving those memories. Castis understood. He would not have wished to relive that kind of hell either. It was the stuff of nightmares. When his son came to the aftermath of the rocket, he nearly stopped him. It was clear his memories were fuzzy and full of holes by that point. To his surprise, when his son faltered, Shepard filled in the rest. It shocked him to learn that she had saved Garrus' life so selflessly. He knew very well that exposure to turian bodily fluids could have caused a fatal allergic reaction and yet she had risked it anyway when she had plunged her bare hands into the wound. Learning that she was not allergic after the fact was simply a benefit to the level of their current relationship.

“You have my thanks, Commander. My family.....is my world. If I lost them....” Castis shook his head, eyes closing.

“Garrus tells me your wife is sick. I'm sorry. If there's anything I can do to help...” Shepard began.

“Sadly, there's nothing more anyone can do for Iceira at this late stage. Her Corpalis Syndrome continues to advance. The treatments......are ineffective.” Castis had not intended to mention her during this meeting. He did not wish to upset his son. Still, now that he had, he felt the need to inform them all. “It's only a matter of time now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A main character's immediate family, if mentioned, should all have names [unless the character never knew them]; that's one of the golden rules of character building. I was never thrilled to learn that Garrus' parents didn't have names [his father wasn't named until ME:A]. I felt a need to name his mother in this chapter so I gave her the name of a character from one of my original [non-fanfic] works. Here's the pronunciation key so you know how I'm hearing this name: Iceira [ē-sēar-ă]


	11. Departure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus watches Shepard's shuttle lift off from Palaven's surface.

Garrus stood watching as the shuttle lifted off. Shepard was aboard along with all the surveillance vids his father had been able to pull together. The records ranged from four days before the collision to just a few seconds before. The vids went dark the second the relay's eezo core exploded. Along with those vids there were a number of audio feeds, broadcasts, radio waves and communications that had been picked up during that time period. Even the beginning of Shepard's warning had been detected as well as the jamming signal that had blocked it. There was more than enough evidence to clear her of the willful destruction of the batarian colony on Aratoht. _So why do I still feel like a piece of my soul has just been ripped out?_

“It'll be alright, Garrus. I'm sure of it. Dad sent enough vids and audio to choke a kantog. The Alliance _has_ to clear her.” Solana put a hand on her brother's shoulder.

“If they ignore all the surveillance from the system and hang the blame around her neck anyway, then the clan will step in and defend its own, son.” Castis said at his other side.

“I hope you're right.” was all Garrus could say.

His father had only been able to pull the favors in regards to the surveillance evidence. There was no precedence for the rest of his request. A turian/human bonding contract simply did not exist. The closest thing he could find was a turian/asari contract, but without the right changes and proper authorization, it would not suffice. Garrus knew his father meant to look into the matter further. Once he had a problem to worry at, he never left it alone until he had a solution. That was what had made him one of the top detectives in C-Sec.

Garrus had not mentioned the idea to Shepard. He had not wanted to raise false hope. Eventually, he hoped they might discuss the idea. It would likely be well after this snafu with the Alliance. Realistically, he knew that issue could drag on for a good deal of time. The trouble was, the galaxy did not have a lot of time before the Reapers came charging in. He kicked himself for leaving so much unsaid between them. Now she was gone.

Grief, he knew the emotion intimately. The instant the kodiak disappeared from sight, his breath caught. There was no telling when, or even if, he might see her again. The feeling of loss building behind his keelbone was nearly as sharp as it had been the day he watched the SR-1 disintegrate around the commander. He knew how to deal with that kind of grief now. Garrus meant to throw himself into what she had asked of him. He would rally his people, yell loud enough until somebody started paying attention to him about the Reaper threat. It had worked for Shepard, there was no reason it would not work for him. He thought he might even step into that position his clan status had secured for him though he was still not sure he wanted it. Eventually, he knew he would be forced to take up the position one day rather he willed it or not. Better to step into it now.

Turning toward the car with a determination born of blossoming anger, he stormed off. The anger blooming in him was directed at the Council. If they had just listened about the Reapers, if they had taken Shepard's word to begin with, she might not have died over Alchera. The galaxy might be more prepared for the threat that was still baring down on them all. He meant to make sure his corner of the galaxy was ready whether they willed it or not. Those were the orders Shepard had left him with and he meant to carry them out. He knew she would do whatever it took to continue the fight. If at all possible, he would see her again. When he did, he would say to her all the things he had left unsaid. There was still hope. They were both still breathing. _Where there's life, there's hope...right?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those unfamiliar with actual military jargon: snafu: situation normal, all fucked up.


	12. A Change of Perspective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Solana realizes Shepard has somehow gotten under her nerdy brother's plates.

Solana watched her brother for a moment as the shuttle disappeared beyond a stray cloud. He was upset, she could see it in the set of his mandibles, the way his shoulders hunched forward and the downward drawn brow-plates. When he stomped off toward the car, she frowned and glanced back up toward the shuttle that was now far beyond their sight.

“It can't be...” she muttered under her breath.

“And why not, Sol?” her father asked softly behind her.

“Because she's _human_!” she turned to face him, a confused look on her face. “And this is _Garrus_ we're talking about. Too shy, nose always stuck in some new gadget, gun or algorithm – Garrus. We both know how he was on the Kaleema. The captain sent you enough messages regarding his extreme levels of tension and stress. The only way he ever got him to break that tension was through _sparring_.”

“Yes...” Castis nodded and glanced in the direction his son had gone. “Until that girl finally pushed him past his limit.”

“That's what I mean, Dad. He's awkward as hell around women. What is it about Shepard that got under his plates? The way he looked at her, moved close to her, _took her hand,_ that's not the way you look at someone for simple 'stress relief'.” Solana met his eyes steadily, a touch of defiance in her own eyes. “It was love.”

Castis took a deep breath and nodded. “I know.”

“You know? Aren't you worried about that? You fought the humans during the Relay 314 Incident. We _lost_ to them...” Solana growled.

“Careful, Solana. I might begin to believe you're hiding some xenophobia.” Castis growled back.

Solana tisked and turned toward the car with every intention of following her brother. She stopped when her father's hand gripped her shoulder almost hard enough to hurt. Her voice was harsher than she intended when she glanced back at him. “I'm _not_ xenophobic! They're just people, different...maybe a little stupid, in some cases, but still _people_.”

“Go easy on Garrus, Sol. You saw his face, you heard the details of how it happened. We both know he left out the 'how' and the 'why' it came to that. I can't even begin to imagine the hell he's been through. Neither of us can. If he's found love through the other side of that......who are we to question it...”

“You're really ok with this, aren't you?” the tension in her shoulders relaxed a fraction as she locked eyes with her father once more.

“Love is a gift, little one. We can't know when or from where it will come. All we can do is wait and accept it in whatever form it takes.” Castis sighed and his shoulders seemed to slouch slightly. “It's time I brought your mother home. She should spend her final days on Palaven, surrounded by clan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Garrus is the biggest cheeseball in the Mass Effect Trilogy. Of course he's an awkward nerd and we all love him for it.


	13. A Waste of Good Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nightmares plague the turian who proclaims immunity to such things.

It was late when Garrus settled into his old room. It felt strange being back in the house after so many years. The last time he had been there was just after his mother's accident. He never regretted losing that scholarship to care for her. Why would he? He had seen so much more of the galaxy than he had ever hoped to when he joined Shepard's crew. The downside to that, of course, was Saren, Sovereign, the Collectors and the Reapers. _Who's keeping track? You fell in love with the ship's captain. That's the biggest bonus of them all. Might be the hardest burden you'll ever have to bare for awhile though. Hmm...nothing some hard work can't push to the back burner for a month or two..... I'll live through it and if the Alliance doesn't clear her..... Well, I told her once I'd walk barefoot into hell and carry her out myself..._. Those were the thoughts that followed him into sleep.

*

Garrus had always said nightmares were a waste of good sleep. He implied that his sleep was always peaceful. It was a lie...

The dream began innocently enough, peaceful in the mundane actions of shipboard duties. It was just another day aboard the SR-1. Another day of calibrating the Maco's targeting system while chasing down stray geth across the galaxy. The alliance had put the Normandy on a clean-up detail. He called it a wild verrin hunt. This time they were in the Amada system, deep inside the Omega Nebula.

The commander announced their arrival at Alchera, a world covered in ice and a thin atmosphere. _Ice, it had to be ice. Why don't we ever go anywhere nice?_ Idol thoughts, that was all they were. He was bored, missing the action that came with running the hard missions with Shepard. Moving away from the console, he stretched to get the blood flowing and was about to head across the bay to annoy the krogan a little more.

That was the instant the beam sliced through the deck as if it were made of butter. The ship pitched to starboard and virtually threw him toward Wrex. He staggered and caught his footing just before falling over the cross-member running through the middle of the room.

“Crap!” he gasped as he watched the entire room begin to split apart. The kinetic barriers barely holding the ship in one piece.

“All hands, abandon ship! This is not a drill! I repeat, all hands, abandon ship!” came Liara's voice crackling across the ship's comm. She sounded shaky.

“ _Spirits!_ This is bad.” Garrus hissed in shock as he headed for the elevator.

“Kid! What are you doin'? You heard the asari. Get to the escape pod.” Wrex grumbled as he took a couple of unsteady steps across the shaking deck.

“Shepard's in the CIC. I need to make sure she gets to a pod. You know how....well....how reckless she can be.” Garrus grumbled. He had an awful feeling he simply could not shake about her location.

“No time. Look around you.” Wrex began, but Garrus continued toward the elevator anyway.

“ _Crap!_ ” he snapped the instant the doors opened. He threw his arms up to protect his face against the blast of flames that erupted from it. His voice was a snarl of distress when next it came. “ _Dammit!_ No way up.”

The ship shuddered and threw them both across the deck. The straps holding the Maco in place ripped loose with several loud popping sounds and the vehicle half bounced, half rolled across the room. Wrex barely managed to launch himself out of the way before it slammed into the starboard bulkhead. It destroyed the weapons locker and half of the former gunnery chief's station. The kinetic barriers were not holding. The ship was being torn apart around them.

Garrus started sliding toward the fissure that had opened up in the deck. He wondered if his time was up as he scrabbled against the grating of the floor for purchase. The instant his legs dropped over that giant gap, Wrex grabbed his forearm. He glanced down, the kinetic barrier crackled bare inches below his toes. Glancing back up, he realized the krogan had sunk his other hand deep into the floor grating, shredding his glove in the process. He hauled the turian up as if he weighed nothing even though the hand that supported their combined weight was bleeding.

“C'mon, Garrus. I hate to say it, but Shepard's on her own. We got orders. Pod, now.” Wrex grumbled as he staggered to his feet and practically dragged Garrus with him.

The turian had no choice. There was no way up to the CIC. At least no clear way. They were trapped on the engineering deck as certainly as Shepard was trapped on the command deck. He allowed Wrex to guide him toward the escape pod near where the Maco had been.

Tali, Adams and three other crewmen came running out of the engine room an instant later. Wrex reached for the quarian, grabbed her and all but threw her at the pod's opening hatch. Garrus managed to get a grip on Adams just as part of the room ripped completely away. The kinetic barrier delayed a split second, but in that time, three of the humans were sucked into space. He would have followed them if not for the anchoring grip of the krogan beside him. The ship's atmosphere whipped around them both for several long seconds before the kinetic barriers snapped back into place.

A wordless growl of disbelief and horror escaped Garrus at the sight. He barely noticed Wrex grabbing the rim of his armored cowl and dragging him into the escape pod. The krogan shoved him at a seat as he followed and hit the button to secure the door. An instant later they were kicked away from the Normandy with a hard jolt by the emergency thrusters.

Garrus stared out the pod's only viewport as the Normandy broke apart. His visor fed him stats, vitals from the other pods, kinetic barrier degradation, structural integrity, all of it as he watched. His breath froze in his throat the instant he caught the flash of her distinctive N7 hardsuit among the debris that had once been the Normandy. His visor fed him those stats as well. A relentless data stream he wished he could shut off, but was powerless to do so.

“Shepard....” the word was a hoarse whisper, a voice he did not recognize as his own.

“Uh...dammit, _dammit_! Those pyjacks are gonna _pay_ for this!” Wrex spat venomously as he crowded in to get a glimpse of what Garrus was witnessing.

The turian watched her vitals stutter. He watched helplessly as she thrashed against the inevitable. When she finally grew still, her vitals flatlined and she drifted farther toward the planet. He gripped the frame of the pod's hatch hard enough to leave finger dents in the metal.

Someone was keening at the top of their lungs, wailing curses at the powers that be in an archaic turian dialect. He realized that person was him as he rested his plated brow against the glass and just tried to breathe through it. The whole of his being felt as if he had just hit crush depth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah...Garrus has some powerful nightmares. Maybe that's why he keeps telling Shepard they're 'a waste of good sleep'.


	14. Through Thin Walls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The walls in the Vakarian home are not as thick as those of the Citadel or a ship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mention of ptsd. Possible triggers.

“ _Spirits_.....” Castis gasped as he heard his son's keening wail muffled from the upper floor. He glanced up at the ceiling with a sense of dread settling over him.

The retired C-Sec detective knew the sounds of suffering when he heard them. There had been so much of it in his work, but he had never thought to hear it from one of his own children. The humans had a term for that kind of trauma. _They call it post traumatic – something. PTSD. Chellick was right. He said the letters were easier to remember than the human term itself. Big terms for a shattered soul_. He heard the faint thump of his son's feet hitting the floor a few minutes later. Garrus was heading for the bathroom near his room. It made a certain kind of sense. After another moment, his suspicion was confirmed when he heard the distinctive squeak the shower nob made when the water was turned on.

Glancing at the holo-clock on his desk, Castis realized Garrus had only gotten a couple of hours of sleep. Not enough to be sure. He needed a couple more hours to be able to properly function. Four hours, no more, no less. That was the normal amount of sleep a healthy turian needed. True, some split those hours. Others simply took a couple more hours here and there, but those were generally the very young and the elderly.

“Was that Garrus?” Solana asked quietly, the shock clear in her voice as she stumbled into his small office wiping sleep from her eyes.

“Had to be. Who else _could_ it have been? Our neighbors aren't close enough for us to hear them like that.” Castis leaned back in his chair to look at her.

The look on his daughter's face confirmed just how horrible his son's nightmare must have been. He wondered if those kinds of nightmares would continue to plague him nightly. _Spirits, I hope not. He's been through much more than I ever suspected. That day he called and claimed he was hitting moving targets.... Oh sweet spirits, son, those were mercs, weren't they. Your life really was on the line. Where the hell were you and what were you doing?_ Castis let out a tired sigh at the thought. Nightly episodes were a possibility he resigned himself to. He had seen prisoners of war react in much the same way. All he could do was allow it to run its course. It would be much worse when he brought Iceira home. Some nights, when she knew no one at all, she grew combative.

“Shouldn't we check on him? Make sure he's ok?” Solana asked as she glanced up at the ceiling.

“No. he took his pistol up there with him. That's something a hardened warrior does instinctively. It'll be close at hand and neither of us is risking being shot. We'll allow him the privacy he needs to work through this. If he wants to talk, he'll talk.” Castis said sternly.

“Are you sure you wanna bring Mom home with him like that?” Solana put voice to the fear that was only just taking shape for her father.

“I honestly don't know. Maybe her presence will settle his anxiety.” Castis stated, at a sudden loss for a solution.

“And maybe he'll set Mom off and she'll hurt someone again.” Solana looked defeated.

“We'll try it for a couple of days, see how it goes. If bringing her home doesn't help either of them, then....well...” he could not finish the thought. He was determined to have his wife home during her final days. He knew her time was short. Days only the salarian doctors said. He was not ready to tell either of his children just how few.


	15. Aftershocks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus doesn't really deal with the aftershocks of his nightmares. He simply throws himself into some kind of work.

Garrus tore himself out of the nightmare with a keening wail. His hand had automatically gone for the Carnifex pistol tucked snugly under the edge of the mattress. Sitting up in bed, he dragged the covers off his legs and leaned his elbows on his knees, pistol hanging loosely in his hand. He sat there staring at it as the moonlight flashed across its scuffed surface. Shifting the weapon back and forth, allowing the moonlight to play across it, he tried to regain something resembling calm. It had been months since he had last had that particular nightmare. _Nightmares, a waste of good sleep. You should be sleeping, Vakarian. Big day tomorrow_.

Finally, when he had had enough of the sweat beading on the flesh between his plates, he swung his legs over the side of the contoured bed and tucked the pistol back under the mattress. A shower, that was what he needed. The sweat was itching in the crevasses between his plates and it was maddening. The heat of the water might chase away the last remnants of the chill that had gripped him in that dream. He remembered all too clearly how cold space felt when the atmosphere was blowing out of the Normandy's hull. The cold of Noveria had nothing on the void.

Garrus was mindful of how heavy his footfalls where. He was sure his cry had already awakened the household, but there was no need to keep them awake. Stepping into the bathroom, he breathed a quiet sigh of relief. The shower nob, when he twisted it, made the same squeaking sound he remember from his childhood in that house. When the spray of the water hit him, he yelped at the sudden cold. It lasted less than a minute before it began to warm. He took the time to wonder if he might just remain there until the Reapers came and ripped everything he knew apart. It was a momentary thought he promptly tossed aside as he finished his shower.

Once toweled off and sufficiently oiled, he dressed and headed down the stairs to the main part of the house. Glancing out a window, he realized the sun was barely beginning to rise. He had some time to kill then. _Time to think, more like it. Too much time on my hands. Need to find something constructive to do for a couple of hours or I might just go crazy._ So he poked around the house for something, anything that might keep him busy. He found nothing.

An hour later, his father found him cleaning his sniper rifle at the kitchen table. It lay in pieces, all the way down to the springs. As his father entered the kitchen, Garrus made sure the delicate inner workings of the rifle where not close enough to the edge to disappear over it. The last thing he wanted to do was lose some small, but critical part.

Castis settled himself into a chair a short distance from the table and watched his son clean and reassemble the rifle with the practiced ease of a veteran. There was approval in his face and Garrus knew his father was timing him. This was something Castis had taught him when he was young. It had been a game at first. Later it had become drills and timed trials.

Garrus had hated his father for those drills and trials as a child. Now, he appreciated the skills he had learned. He had thanked his father every day on Omega when those skills had been the only thing keeping him alive. Omega was dirty, the rifle jammed easily when the grease clotted with too much grime. Cleaning the rifle and being able to handle it even when he was completely exhausted, those were the things Castis Vakarian had drilled into him day after day. Now he understood why. There had been a reason, but neither of them had quite known exactly what that reason was until now.

_This war, the Reapers... That's why he was so adamant that I had to learn this. Spirits, where would I be without this training?_ Garrus cleared his mind and simply worked on the task before him. Once cleaned, the rifle seemed to fly together of its own accord. He cocked it, checked it over, made sure everything was functioning perfectly before laying it out on the table and staring at it for several long moments.

“Record time. I'm impressed, son.” Castis said quietly from the seat he had taken nearly a foot from the table so as not to disturb the pieces.

“Hmm...running with Shepard, I realized I needed to be the best.” Garrus nodded and glanced at his father. “The rest....just sort of....fell into place.”

“She's a good influence then. Maybe...good for you on other levels too.”

“Yeah...” Garrus almost sounded choked as he stared straight ahead.

“You wanna talk about the nightmares?” Castis asked casually as he stood and made his way to the kava pot.

“I guess you heard me then.” Garrus flicked his eyes to the rifle and a moment later, he tucked it into it's customary slot in the back of his armor. His father had said nothing about the armor, but he had noticed it.

“Couldn't help it. The house is quieter now.” Castis glanced back once and seemed to realize Garrus was not ready to discuss that nightmare yet. The brewer began to sizzle and he turned back to it. “I'm bringing your mother home today.”

“Do you think she'll know me?” Garrus blinked hard a couple of times at the thought of his mother.

“I hope so.”

“What are you doing sitting here in your _armor_?” Solana asked from the doorway before stepping in. Her mandibles were flared faintly. The clan markings a match for her brother's save the fact that they were thinner, more delicate.

“Meeting with General Corinthus in a couple of hours.” he said simply.

“Wait, does that mean he's taking you to see the Primarch too? Are you _finally_ going to acknowledge your birthright?” Solana sounded too excited over even the possibility of that news.

“Don't pick at your brother, Sol.” Castis growled reflexively, then chuckled.

“What's so funny?” she barked.

“The two of you..... Some things never change.” the elder Vakarian continued to chuckle as he brought three mugs of steaming kava to the table.


	16. Duty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard takes one final stroll through the Normandy's corridors before handing herself over to the Alliance.

Everyone who could be dropped off had been dropped off. Shepard made her way through the ship one last time. It was empty, silent, devoid of life. It felt like a tomb. She stepped into the main battery and stared at the console longingly. Garrus had been her last drop-off. He was the hardest to let go. So many things were left unsaid and she suspected that went both ways. Before she left him with his family, he had stepped in close and taken her hand. His grip had almost been painful as he rested his plated brow against her forehead briefly. He had murmured something in a turian dialect that their omni-tools had not been able to translate; ma-kee-sa. She had no idea what it meant. Even her searches on the extranet had turned up with little to nothing.

After a few minutes standing there wishing he was somewhere aboard the ship, she turned and left the battery. Stopping in the mess hall on her way, she glanced around it thoughtfully. She had practically seduced him there, leaving him little to no doubt of her intentions. It would have been nice if he had taken her up on that offer sooner. They might have come together for a longer period of time. Even with so little said between them about the emotions that drove them together, she was certain she knew his heart, at least she hoped she did. He was as much in love with her as she was with him. That was going to make this separation so much harder, she realized.

Shepard finally shook herself free of her memories and regrets to make her way to the elevator. Once she stepped off, she took the couple of steps up to the railing around the galaxy map. It was time. The sooner she did this, the sooner she found her way back to Garrus.

The Alliance was waiting for her on the Citadel. Hackett had already contacted her. She was to report to the Citadel and surrender the Normandy SR-2 to the Alliance for refit. From there, she would be taken into custody and transported back to Earth for an Alliance tribunal. That told her they were not sure how to handle the situation. She was not currently Alliance navy due to her death over Alchera. Technically she was still listed as KIA. Garrus was right, if she had wanted to push the technicality, she could have easily done so. As a Council Spectre, she was above the laws she was subjecting herself to anyway. Her moral compass would not allow her that luxury, however. No one was above the law, she had said it thousands of time. No one, not a Council Spectre, not C-Sec, not even Commander Shepard.

“Alright, Joker. Take us in.” Shepard called over the comm.

“Aye, aye, Commander.” Joker replied. He had refused to leave the Normandy. Said he planned to stay on and make sure the technicians did not touch EDI's AI core. He planned to mask her as a very sophisticated VI.

Shepard walked quickly to the flight deck and stood behind Joker's chair to watch as they docked with the Citadel. That sight never got old. She knew this might be her last chance to see it from the bridge of a ship. There was no telling how long, if ever she might hold her own command again. With the Reapers still coming, she planned to keep yelling until Earth started listening. One day, they would have no choice.

As soon as the Normandy docked, the mag-locks tucked her in. Shepard turned toward the airlock and headed out. Admiral Hackett stood beside Councilor Anderson in the bay waiting for her. There were a pair of C-Sec officers with them. She recognized one of them; Chellick. They had pulled out the higher ups for this.

“Commander Shepard, I regret this more than you'll ever know.” Hackett began.

“You know this is wrong, Steven. That's all I'm going to say.” Anderson grumbled at the admiral.

“Let's just get this over with.” Shepard grumbled as she held out her wrists for Chellick to cuff.

“I am deeply sorry, Commander. You have my utmost respect.” Chellick murmured as he carefully snapped the cuffs around her wrists. “If you'll come with me, there's a ship waiting to transport you to Earth.”

“I'll be coming with you, Commander. Udina is taking my place on the Council. I need to be on Earth, with the Alliance, if what you say about the Reapers is true.” Anderson stepped forward and ignored the hard look Hackett gave him.

“Yes, sir.” Shepard sounded on the edge of a deep depression even to herself. “I have evidence to present to the tribunal. Turian surveillance data. Castis Vakarian was kind enough to call in some favors and have them pulled in my defense.”

Hackett's eyes widened a fraction at that information, but he remained silent. His expression was unreadable. Shepard could not tell for sure how he felt about that new development. Deep down, she thought he might have no feeling about it whatsoever. She had been a tool, a means to an end and in his eyes, she had failed horribly. His friend had died along with over three hundred thousand batarians. It did not seem to matter to him that Kenson had been indoctrinated and taken her own life while ensuring that Shepard could not warn those batarians.

After a moment, Chellick guided her out of the Normandy's bay and into another while the two admirals brought up the rear. The turian was gentle with her. She knew he had been on the Citadel when Saren tore through it. He had seen Sovereign first hand. There was no doubt he knew the Reapers were real and they were coming. That had to be the reason for his gentleness.

The ship waiting to transport her back to Earth was small, roughly the size of the SR-1. She knew how this was going to go, confined to the lounge until they reached Earth. A few hours, maybe a day depending on the ships eezo core. It could have been much worse.


	17. Honor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This whole thing was wrong. Anderson knew it was wrong. Shepard had been used a tool.

This was wrong and he knew it. He felt it to the very marrow of his bones. Hackett had been wrong to send her into batarian space alone to begin with. He knew the stakes. The batarians were barely civil as it was. Shepard would only have done what she did for the right reasons, they both knew it. If she said the Reapers were about to come through that relay, then he believed her. She claimed Dr. Kenson was indoctrinated and he believed that too. The commander should be receiving a medal, not facing a tribunal.

Anderson pursed his lips at the thought of what an Alliance tribunal might do with her. It was freezable that they could decide to put her in a detention cell indefinitely. He had no intention of allowing that to happen, however. She had that turian surveillance data loaded in her omni-tool. He meant to make damn sure it got to the right people. That was why meant to ask her for the device before she was left in the lounge. He would secure it in his own quarters and personally hand it over to the tribunal for examination.

Once they were aboard the Datalus, it was one relay jump and a couple of FTL hops to Earth. A couple of days, that was the amount of freedom Shepard had remaining to her. He knew the Alliance had no idea what to do with her. She was an anomaly, dead and yet alive. They had seen the video feeds from the SR-1 as it broke up. The turian on board at the time had provided his visor's video logs as confirmation of her death. They stood as a mute testament to her death over Alchera. Yet here she was, alive, whole and still arguing the reality of the Reaper threat.

Glaring at Hackett, Anderson suspected the man knew more of Cerberus' inner workings than he claimed. Maybe he knew the slipper bastard that headed the organization. It would not surprise him. Nothing really did these days. Irritate, yes, surprise, not so much. He had seen too much over the years. The political pandering the last two years was too much for a certainty. Udina could have it. He was better suited to it anyway. The admiral much preferred his Alliance rank and duties, at least most of the time. Today, not so much.

When they boarded the Datalus, Anderson took charge of Shepard. He had no intention of leaving her in Hackett's hands. The man had already proven he had no idea exactly where to direct her skills. True, she was merely being confined to the starboard lounge, but even still, Anderson wanted her as far from Hackett as he could get her for the moment.

“I want you to know, Commander, that I don't agree with any of this.” Anderson said to her as he escorted her to the lounge.

“You had nothing to do with this, sir. Hackett asked a favor, I obliged. The blame is mine for everything that happened afterward.” Shepard stated.

“Well, be that as it may, I need your omni-tool. The data stored on it needs to be secured until we reach Earth. I'll make sure it reaches the proper channels before you're called in for the tribunal.” Anderson stopped outside the door.

“How long, sir? How long do you think the Alliance will wait before I stand trial?” Shepard asked quietly.

“Not long, if we play our cards right. They want to go over the evidence on your omni-tool and that could take the longest amount of time.” Anderson paused and thought it over for a couple of minutes before continuing. “A few months maybe....”

“Months.... Sir, we may not have that long before the Reapers arrive.”

“I'm aware of that, Commander. I'll cut through as much bureaucratic red tape as I can, but you know how these things go. It takes time.”


	18. Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard finally reaches Earth and gets her hands on a specific vid during her incarceration.

Shepard was not confined on the Datalus long. Two days, that was all the time she had spent confined to that lounge. Now they were docking with Earth-One, an older space station that handled travel between the planet and the shipyards. They would take a shuttle down to the surface. Under different circumstances she might have been happy to see her homeword again. Even still, there was some faint anticipation. She knew how Garrus must have felt now. The homesick finally coming home.

The shuttle drop only lasted a few minutes. Both Anderson and Hackett accompanied her. The moment the shuttle touched down, there was a security contingency waiting for them. They were not rough by any means of the word, but they were firm. She looked up at the hulking mass of muscle with them and wondered if someone thought she might be dangerous.

The man was a soft-spoken mountain with a flirty attitude she just was not exactly sure how to take. 'Lola', that was what he called her practically from the very first instant he laid eyes on her. He seemed determined to ignore her actual name. She rolled her eyes in dismay when she learned he was to be one of her primary guards. Vega, his name was James Vega and she could already see past that flirty attitude of his. There was a serious chip on his shoulder that someone desperately needed to knock off. She was absolutely sure the lieutenant was going to annoy the holy living shit out of her for however long the Alliance decided she needed to be detained.

“Oh my god, I may hit him with a weak biotic charge if he doesn't shut up....” Shepard grumbled under her breath as he escorted her to a cell.

'Cell' was not exactly the most correct term for where she would be staying. 'Quarters' would have been more like it. All the basic creature comforts had been included. Security, of course, was tighter. She would not be allowed to leave her 'quarters' without a guard. Security informed her she would be allowed access to the gym and training rooms, as well as the library along with a data pad. Digital access would be restricted, however. No emails in or out, basically no outside communication. She knew that one was coming, but it still frustrated her. It meant no communication with Garrus until this thing was decided. There was a huge selection of video entertainment she might access along with reading material. She would also be allowed outside in the facility's arboretum with a guard. All the comforts of 'home'. _A comfortable prison is still a prison_. She sighed inwardly at that thought. It was better than the alternative, she supposed.

When she was finally left to her own devices, she began to really wonder how long she was going to be stuck in the bright, open space she had been provided. Already she missed the feel of deck plates beneath her feet. She missed the smell of gun powder, grease and metal. In the deepest, most protected depths of her heart, she missed Garrus. He was the one thing in all of this that had made life bearable over the last year.

Days turned into weeks as she looked up whatever she could find in regards to turian civil customs. Though emails were not permitted, she did happen to find some vids that were flagged as being recently viewed by some of her crew. Joker, to name one and she was intrigued.

“Turian porn? Really, Joker?” she shook her head with a smile as she opened the vid late one night.

The video had a cheesy storyline, similar to human porn leading into the actual act itself. Her eyes grew wide as she watched the plated pair. It looked horribly uncomfortable. She did not see how either of them found any pleasure at all in what they were doing.

“ _Oh my god!_ ” Shepard gasped when the pair had finished. She understood now exactly why turian females were considered dangerous afterward. With their groin plates snapping shut like that, it was a miracle the species had survived long enough to procreate. Not to mention the vicious way they shoved their partners aside, not wanting touched. She thought of Garrus and cringed for a heartbeat. Then she whispered with a chuckle. “You better be glad our genders aren't reversed.”


	19. Marks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard inadvertently learns what the mark Garrus left on her shoulder might mean.

“Lola! Hey, Lola, you awake?”

Shepard groaned and turned her face toward the door. She had dozed off on the couch again. Her forearm rested across her forehead as one eye opened and drifted toward the window in the door. The word that tumbled from her lips was not much more than another groan. “No....”

“C'mon. Time to hit the gym. You're gettin' soft around the middle.”

“Give it a _rest_ , Vega....” she growled as she sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

“Nope, you owe me a rematch. No way you can beat these guns again.” Vega kissed his bicep as he said it.

“You are hopelessly stuck on yourself, you know that?” Shepard pointed out.

“Nah, you know want some of this.” Vega joked with a chuckle.

“Fine, I'll be ready in five.” she growled and dragged herself off the couch.

True to her word, five minutes later she was standing at the door as he unlocked it. She sported tank top and sweats as she jerked her hair up into a tight pony. There was no thought to the scar high up on her left shoulder, she was tired of hiding it. These workouts with Vega were intense. She would be sweating in no time.

“Hey, that looks like a bite mark....” Vega said thoughtfully as he noticed the scar.

“If you say so.” details he did not need unless he started asking too many questions.

“Oh hell, Lola, it looks like a turian mark.” Vega was jogging backwards as she made her way to the gym. “It is, isn't?”

“Told you I had a boyfriend from the start, Vega. Not my problem if you still insist on flirting.” Shepard smiled.

“Boyfriend? You _sure_ about that?” at the look she gave him, he continued, “Damn, Lola, you don't know, do you?”

“Know what, Vega? You're not making much sense here.” Shepard grumbled.

“Turians bond for _life_ when they mark their partners.”

Shepard stopped dead in her tracks, eyes locked to the lieutenant in shock as her hand unconsciously covered the scar. Finally she found her voice as she stepped into a light jog. “Bullshit. He would have said something.”

“So it's true. That _is_ a turian mark. That means....” the lights seemed to go on between the meathead's ears. “....oh hell, that means he's the one who sent the video logs of your death over Alchera. Daaaaamn..... I'm sorry.”

That stopped her feet for the second time that morning. “What did you say?”

“The turian who was on board the SR-1 recorded the whole thing with his visor. He sent those vids to the Council. They sent them to the Alliance to confirm you'd been killed in action. I thought you knew all this.” Vega explained after a moment.

“I....uh.....I should go....” Shepard breathed and turned to head back to her cell with a decidedly stunned look on her face.

“Hey, wait! What about our rematch?”

“Another time, Vega. I need some time.”

Shepard made her way back to her cell in stunned silence. There was so much she still did not know about the two years she had spent legally dead. To learn that Garrus had witnessed that, recorded it _and_ sent those vids as proof.... It nearly crippled her soul. He had said nothing. She should have known though by the way he told her he could not lose her like that again when she released Grunt. Risk was a part of the job, he knew that. She realized that did not mean he had to accept it.

Hand rubbing over that scar, she sat down on the couch numbly. He had not explained the whole meaning that night, she realized. It was something from turian history, she knew that much. As far as she had known it was more of a betrothal mark and not an actual bonding mark. Now she knew better. She wondered if he meant to honor it as she drew her console toward her.

The moment she switched it on, it flickered and was flooded with breaking news. That was the one outside source that remained to her. News was important and everyone should be aware of it.

“Oh god....” she gasped and covered her mouth as images of Palaven flickered across the screen.

“The Reaper threat has been confirmed. Palaven has fallen victim to their arrival. The turian fleet has been decimated. Evacuation efforts are meeting a great deal of resistance as major cities burn....” the reported filled in the details.


	20. Palaven: Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Reapers have arrived on Palaven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some AU here. Gotta love AU. It's all in the timing.

The new level of command felt like he was back on Omega leading his old team. He had not realized how much he missed the feeling until the Hierarchy assigned him a team. It was odd having generals saluting him, however. He did not feel deserving of their respect. His father was proud, that was something. It might have meant more to him if his mother had known who he was in her final days. Her recent death was a sharp stone that had settled into his heart.

Leaving the small shop with a bottle of good wine in hand, he thought of Shepard. He meant to hold onto that bottle until they were together again. The thought of her was what kept him going during his darkest days. She kept him grounded even though she could not be with him. Without her, without knowing she was safe on Earth, he might have slipped completely into insanity by now.

It had become a nightly habit to run the vids he had recorded of them in her quarters. Nothing explicit, just them enjoying each others company. It helped with the nightmares and kept him on steady footing. He hoped, when she discovered the full meaning of his mark on her, that she might present it to the galaxy with pride. She might have marked him, faint though it was, but he did not think she really understood the significance.

Lost in thought as he was, he nearly tripped when the warning sirens began to blare. Looking up, his blood froze in his veins. “Oh, crap......”

Garrus took off running like a shot toward the command center. He tucked the bottle under his arm as he ran. It would be a matter of seconds only before the Reapers touched down. They were about to rip his world apart.

Something exploded behind him as one of the giant machine's legs hit the ground. The shockwave threw him forward and he barely caught his footing before landing on his face. Glancing back, he saw a number of turians fleeing from the shop he had just left. With a growl, he doubled back and started hauling them away from the burning rubble that had once been a building.

“Go!” he yelled as he shoved one female away from the giant metal leg. The second she ran, he was forced to scramble away from falling debris. “ _Spirits.._....”

“Praetor Vakarian!” one of his men yelled, grabbing him and dragging him back from the wall of bricks that had nearly crushed him when the Reaper leg moved. “We gotta move, sir! Command is evacuating to Menae. This thing is firing into the city. Ciprotine is burning, sir.”

Garrus stared at him for several long seconds before comprehension dawned. “I have family in Ciprotine! My father and sister...”

“I'm sorry, sir. That was the first city hit. There's not much let.” the officer paused, mandibles drawn in tight. “Maybe they got out.”

He could not breathe. His family might be gone, killed by the very threat Shepard had been telling the Council was coming for three long years. The growl that erupted from him was directed at the futility of it all. “ _Dammit!_ ”

“We need to leave with Command, sir. They won't wait. They can't.”

“Let's go....” Garrus nodded and stepped into a jog as he tried not to look at the darkening sky. It was barely lunch time and yet it looked as if it was nearing midnight.

Explosions, blazing fires, loud bangs, all the worst noise of war filled the atmosphere of his world as he made his way to the command center. His people were boarding shuttles, many already in the air. He flinched in shock as three of them exploded under the Reaper's beam not more than a five hundred feet up. He knew, that if even a few got through, there was hope of saving Palaven.

“Oh...spirits.....I can't....” the younger turian, who had come after him, stopped in his tracks before their shuttle. His eyes were wide with fear as he glanced between the shuttle and the Reaper beam that kept firing off in unpredictable directions.

“You can and you will. Not a lot of choice here, Dectus. We board that shuttle.....or.....we die right here, right now. You're choice.” Garrus growled at him.

Dectus glanced between the shuttle and the Reaper moving toward them with wide eyes. His mandibles were quivering in fear. Garrus tilted his head to the side and moved toward him. After a second's hesitation, he grabbed Dectus' arm and all but dragged him aboard. He shoved him at a seat as he took one across from him. _Spirits, he's just a kid. Was I ever that young?_

Forty-eight seconds later four more shuttles breached Palaven's atmosphere. In ten seconds, two had jumped to FTL, one exploded in a Reaper beam and one spiraled out into interplanetary space hemorrhaging oxygen, barely under it's pilot's control.


	21. Summoned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Defense Committee summons Shepard.

Shepard stood at the huge window watching a child playing on a patch of green on the roof of the building below. After a moment, she glanced back at the data pad in her hands. Unfiltered news was still leaking across the extranet about the attack on Palaven. It was not official news, not yet, but there was no reason for her to believe images, vids and sound bytes were not real. It had torn her heart out and shredded it the instant she had seen those first images. Garrus was there. She had left him on Palaven to rally his people. Now she wondered if she had left him to die there.

Looking up the instant her door opened, she noted James stepping in and instantly saluting her. “Commander.”

“You're not supposed to call me that anymore, James.” she stepped turned toward him with a grim smile.

“Not supposed to salute you either. We gotta go. The Defense Committee wants to see you.” he wasted no time getting to his point. The man was heading back out the door as he spoke, expecting her to follow.

“Sounds important.” Shepard tried to feign indifference as she tossed the pad on the couch and followed him. She had to take a couple of jogging steps to catch him. Hope was beating at her with every step. “What's going on?”

“Couldn't say. Just told me they needed you, now.” James stopped suddenly.

Shepard glanced ahead and saw Anderson heading their way in dress blues. “Anderson?”

“Admiral.” James acknowledged with a salute.

“You look good, Shepard. Maybe a little soft around the edges.” Anderson said, patting her middle before turning to lead them back the way he had come. There was a note of concern in his voice with his next question. “How you holding up?”

“About as good as can be expected.” Shepard put a hand on her belly subconsciously and glanced around her. People scurried around like rats. A sense of dread began to settle over her even before she asked. “What's going on?”

“Admiral Hackett's mobilizing the fleets. I'm guessing word's made it to Alliance Command. Something big's headed our way.”

Shepard stopped on the short flight of stairs and looked up at him. Her next words hard, bitter with an edge of accusation. She knew, she had seen the leaked news from Palaven. “The Reapers.”

“We don't know. Not for certain.” Anderson tried to smooth it over.

“What else could it be?” she asked sharply. “Have you seen the news feeds from Palaven? There's no denying it.”

“We had word from Palaven an hour ago. The signal was disrupted.” Anderson sighed.

“We're not ready for the Reapers, not by a long shot.” Shepard snapped. Six months, six months she had been sitting on her hands when she could have been out rallying support.

“Tell that to the Defense Committee.”

“Unless we're planning to talk the Reapers to death, the Committee is a waste of time.” Shepard grumbled as they resumed their course.

“We've all reviewed your reports, even the data you've collected. The Committee's scared. They haven't seen what you've seen. To us, it's all just theory. You've been there, in the trenches, fighting. You know what they're capable of.” Anderson tried to give her their point of view.

“That the real reason they grounded me, took my ship?”

Anderson stopped suddenly, turned to face her and pointed a finger nearly in her face. “You know that's not the reason. The shit you've done...any other soldier would have been tried, court-marshaled and discharged. It's your knowledge of the Reapers that kept that from happening.”

“That and your good word.” Shepard backed down. This was her friend and mentor. He was not the one responsible for her incarceration, certainly not her enemy.

“Yeah, I trusted you and so should the Committee.”

“I'm just a soldier, Anderson. I'm no politician. Locked up here, I'm no good to anybody out there anyway.”

“I don't need you to be either. I just need you to do whatever it takes to help us stop the Reapers.” he growled as they passed through a set of double doors.

There was a woman waiting for them before a desk with a data pad in her hands. She looked up as they entered. “They're expecting you two, Admiral.”

Shepard followed them, only stopping when James said something to her. “Good luck in there, Shepard.”

Shaking his hand, she turned to follow Anderson and stopped. Alenko came strolling up to the Admiral out of nowhere. He was good at just showing up like that. _This could get ugly_. He was the last person she wanted to see just then.

“Anderson.” he said and came to a stop before the admiral.

“How'd it go in there?” Anderson asked him.

“Ok, I think. Hard to know. I'm just waiting for orders now.” Alenko sighed dramatically.

“Admiral.” the woman leading them called.

“Come on.” Anderson said and stepped into line behind her.

“Shepard.” Alenko greeted with a nod.

Shepard glanced at him, gave him a slight nod and continued past him. He was not her top priority right now. As a matter of fact, she had thought little of him since she had started seeing Garrus.

“You know the commander?” she heard James ask him.

“I used to.” Kaidan answered, his voice sounded full of longing.

Shepard did not care much how he sounded, not after Horizon. They were done the moment she died over Alchera. He had simply confirmed that nearly a year ago when he had all but called her a traitor. Some grudges, she realized, were not so easily set aside.


	22. Taking a Spin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus' shuttle is in trouble.

The shuttle shook as the alarm klaxon wailed. Garrus moaned and opened his eyes. Turian blood was the first thing he saw, his own. It dripped from his brow-plates sluggishly. Putting a hand up to his plated forehead, he found the source. The central plate had cracked open painfully. He realized he must have hit his head exceptionally hard.

Glancing around him, he took note of the damage as he quickly came to full alertness. A kinetic barrier sealed a hole looking out on the void in the shuttle's starboard side. Dectus was gone along with several of the others who had been strapped into seats along that side of the shuttle. Sucked out into space, no doubt. There were bodies everywhere, but he did not bother to check them. He had no time. The star field outside that hole was swirling wildly as the shuttle spun away from the Reaper blast that had destroyed two of the others. He realized his shuttle must have been hit with flying debris from them. That would account for the localized damage.

Releasing his restraints, he staggered to his feet and made his way to the cockpit. The door was twisted and nearly torn from the bulkhead as he stepped through. His mouth dropped open as he stepped into the tiny room. The copilot was gone along with his seat and half his console. The pilot had clearly suffered explosive decompression when the hole was ripped into the starboard section of the nose. He was everywhere.

_The pilot's console is still here. I can work with that_. Garrus thought grimly as he pulled what was left of the pilot's body out of the seat. Gently, he laid him on the floor where the copilot's chair had been. He then slid into the seat without a second thought and started pulling up status reports from the computer. It did not look good. Structural integrity was down by thirty-five percent, atmospheric pressure was barely reading at twenty percent. _That's why it's so hard to breathe_. He had thrusters, but no engine core. It was offline, one of the power couplings reading as misaligned. It would have been simple enough to fix, if there were two of him. He still did not know if any of the others were alive. If they were, they were still unconscious.

With a grunt, he pushed himself out of the seat and picked his way through the crew section to the rear of the shuttle. Punching a couple of codes into the panel on the wall, he opened the door to the engine compartment. He had never understood why they called it a compartment. It was more like a closet. Standing before it for a few seconds, he saw the obvious issue. The coupling was disengaged completely. He tried pushing it back into place, but it would not move.

Looking around, he noted a pair of passenger handles hanging form the ceiling a few inches from the door. Judging the distance and amount of torque it was likely to take, he nodded to himself. _I can do this_. He slipped his hands through those handles, twisting them around his wrists and gripped them tightly. A heartbeat later, he jumped up and brought his feet down on the top of the coupling, using the handles as leverage to control where his weight impacted. Once........twice.....three times with barely an inch of movement. On the fourth try, it snapped back into place and he heard the engine core power up.

Releasing the handles, he darted back to the cockpit and slid into the pilot's seat once more. Hands flying over the damaged console, he brought the shuttle out of its spin and leveled it off. A few taps revealed Menae was to his port side, about ten degrees off his current trajectory. He adjusted the deviation and initiated an FTL jump.


	23. Earth: Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Reapers hit Earth.

There were a lot of dress blues around the room when they entered. She felt under dressed in fatigues. The window behind the Committee's dais was huge and glowed with the beauty of the early afternoon flooding through it. As they approached, one of the councilors on the board stood up.

“Admiral Anderson, Shepard.”

“What's the situation?” Shepard asked calmly. She did not feel calm, but she had already slipped the 'commander' mask into place.

“We were hoping....you would tell us.” Councilor Ward stated as someone handed Shepard a data pad.

Councilor Morgan, the sole woman on the panel, explained what they knew. “The reports coming in are unlike anything we've seen. Our colonies have gone dark. We've lost contact with everything beyond the Sol Relay.”

“Whatever this is, it's incomprehensibly powerful.” Councilor Ward continued.

“You brought me here to confirm what you already know....the Reapers....are here.” Shepard growled at them. She wanted to rage at them, grab them and shake them, scream in their faces that they should have listened to her three years ago. She glared at them instead.

“Then....how do we stop them?” Councilor Morgan asked.

“Stop?” Shepard almost laughed at the idiocy coming out of the Defense Committee's mouths. “This isn't about strategy or tactics. This is about survival. The Reapers are more advanced than we are, more powerful, more intelligent. They _don't_ fear us and they'll _never_ take pity on us.”

“But...there must be some way...” Councilor Morgan gasped.

“Are you willing to die to save humanity? That's what it's going to take. Anything less and we've already lost.” Shepard growled.

“That's it? That's our plan?” Councilor Ward spoke up again with a wave of his hand.

“Admiral, we've lost contact with Luna base.” the communications officer announced.

“The moon? They couldn't be that close already.” Anderson looked down at the floor. The beginnings of despair clear on his face.

“How did they get past our defenses....?” Councilor Morgan asked in shock.

“Sir, UK headquarters has a visual.” the comm officer said and promptly brought up the image on a big screen over her section of the room.

Everyone turned to watch, some stood as the man on the screen screamed at the camera, his words unintelligible. An instant later, something exploded and the signal was lost. There were gasps around the room. More vids were brought up from around the globe, harrowing images of destruction and death brought about by giant arthropod-like machines. News feeds displayed images from across the extranet of those things destroying cities. Some, it was clear to Shepard, were images of the destruction on Palaven. She knew those were not live feeds. Her world's eyes had been blinded by the Reapers.

“Why haven't we heard from Admiral Hackett?” Anderson asked breathlessly.

“What do we do?” the older admiral, the man who had spoken first, asked honestly.

Shepard glanced back at him before turning fully to face him. She stepped toward him, toward them all and pointed back at the screen now displaying a single feed. “The only thing we can... We fight, or we die.”

“We should get to the Normandy.” Anderson said in a no nonsense tone as he stepped abreast of her.

The sound was the first and last warning they heard. People began to stand and look out the giant window. Even Shepard's eyes raised to the sky outside. Clouds began to form out of nowhere as lightning sparked around the tips of the Reaper's legs coming through the ozone layer.

“Oh my god....” Councilor Morgan breathed.

Shepard narrowed her eyes and the moment she saw the red beam begin to blossom between those tips, she yelled. “Go!...go, go, go!”

Turning, she ran a few feet before the beam hit. The window blew out, the curved desk was torn from its moorings and she dove for the floor. It rolled over her by several feet as she turned to see if Anderson had cleared it. The explosion that followed threw her against the far wall. It should have knocked her out. Instead, she heard muffled screams as she put a hand to her head and blinked.

“Shepard....” it was a muffled shout, but she forced herself up anyway. Her head clearing slightly as she did. “Shepard!”

She blinked again to clear the fog in her brain as he came rushing forward and grabbed her hand to help her up. “Shepard. Come on, get up. Here, take this. We need to move.”

Shepard barely registered the Carnifex pistol he thrust into her hands at first. She followed him as he starting calling for anyone who might read him. Alenko's name on his lips brought her attention sharply to him. _Major? When did Kaidan make Major?_ It was all foggy, but she thought she had heard something about that. Nana had mentioned he was up for possible Spectre status, after all.

“Major Alenko, is that you? What's your status?” Anderson was saying as they made their way through the debris. “I can't raise the Normandy. You have the co-ordinance, I'll meet you at the landing zone. Anderson out.”

Shepard looked out across Vancouver Bay, her lips parted in a mixture of shock and anger. Small fighters flew toward the Reapers that were already beginning to tear the city apart. _This is.....unbelievable. It's a nightmare_. She was trying to breathe through the sight, comprehend it and wrap her head around the potential end of her world.

When Anderson hoped down onto the next ledge, she followed him. He started jogging along as if he were doing a leisurely workout on a treadmill instead of fifty plus feet off the ground on a narrow ledge. Still she followed him even when he jumped across a gap.

“They're massive!” the disbelief was clear in his voice when he shouted over the wind. “Come on, Shepard. Kaidan said they'd pick us up if we can get some space for them.”

As they ran, a Reaper beam nearly clipped the side of the building they were on. It shook beneath their feet and Shepard crouched low. There would be no surviving a fall from that height.

Moving onward, they were buzzed by a pair of fighters, close enough to feel the drag of air around them. They kept moving until they came to a short ladder. Once Anderson was up, she followed.

“Major, do you read me? I'm patching in Shepard.” Anderson said.

A second later, Kaidan's voice crackled in her ear. “......we're taking heavy fire......”

“We're about five minutes out.” Anderson told him.

“.....war zone.......” Alenko's signal fizzled out.

“Say again...” Anderson stopped for a second, the wind blowing his uniform around him as he pressed his hand to his ear. “Dammit. Come on. We gotta move.”

As they slid over and air duct, the both saw the husks climbing the wall at the same time. Shepard was already aiming her pistol when Anderson ordered her to take them out. He was firing....and missing. She took careful aim, firing precise shots to conserve ammo. She could see it now, it was going to be a grueling fight to their extraction point.


	24. Warnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hackett reflects on the events of the day as he contemplates evacuating the station.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay to being a noob and accidentally skipping a chapter. Worked this in as sort of a memory. Kind of important to the beginning of the invasion in this particular fic. Eh, let me know if it messes with the flow.

“Emergency evacuation, please proceed to the shuttle bays.” the VI announced.

Hackett stared at the blank monitors thoughtfully. His mind going back to earlier that morning when all this had been simple theory and speculation. The reality of it was so much worse than he had ever imagined it might be. Shepard, he had downplayed what she had told him, filed it away in an archive to be forgotten while he sent her to rescue his 'friend'.

*

Earlier....

Hackett stood staring at the monitors, arms crossed, one hand absently tracing the scar running down his cheek. The frown pinned to his face would have curdled milk. Something had just taken out two deep space outposts. Entire outposts with a full complement of crew each, just gone.

“How bad is it?” Anderson asked coming up beside him. He looked irritated and rightly so. His sleep cycle had been interrupted.

“Bad...” Hackett glanced at the man. They had not always seen eye to eye, but he liked to think they were friends. “We just lost contact with two of our deep space outposts. There's something massive on long range scanners.”

“Is this what Shepard warned us about.” Anderson asked with something that might have been frustration in his voice.

Hackett let out a breath and dropped his hand from his face. He was regretting the events that had lead to Shepard's incarceration with every tick of the clock. “I'd stake my life on it.”

“How long do we have?” Anderson sounded resigned.

“Not long. I sent word. The fleets are mobilizing.” Hackett's words were solemn as if he were about to attend a funeral.

“God help us all.” Anderson breathed.

“Admiral Hackett, sir, there's comm from Palaven's Hierarchy!”

“Patch it through.” Hackett ordered.

The big screen resolved into a flickering, line-filled image of a pale turian with deep blue markings running in a triangular pattern down his face. He was looking around quite a bit, as if expecting to be attacked any second. The way the image bounced ever few seconds, it was clear there were a number of explosions ripping the place apart around him.

“Admiral.....” he nodded briefly through the building interference. “Palaven is under siege.......assist.......The Reapers are here.”

“Our scanners have picked up something massive heading toward Earth..... Uh..officer...?” Hackett state.

“Vakarian........ Castis Vakarian, C-Sec Liaison.” the turian provided his name and rank.

“Vakarian?” Anderson asked as he seemed to look the flickering image over intently. “There was a Vakarian on the Normandy...”

“My son....Garrus. He spoke highly.......Alliance............Shepard....... Lost contact.......son in.....Shuttle crashed.....” the transmission was degrading with severe interference. “We............. assistance...........”

“We lost the link, sir.”

“Dammit.” Hackett growled.

“You know what we need to do.” Anderson glared at Hackett.

“Shepard.” Hackett nodded with a sigh of resignation.

*

The VI repeated the call for evacuation and finally Hackett responded. He turned and left the command center of the station. He would make it right if it killed him. Shepard was more valuable asset than he had ever given her credit for. He understood now why Cerberus had gone so far and dumped so many resources into her resurrection.


	25. Hitting Menae

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus struggles to maintain control of his crippled shuttle.

Garrus fought the controls until the console shorted out and went dark under his hands. He lifted his hands and spread them helplessly, looking down at the console with a bewildered expression on his face. Grumbling, his brow-plates drew downward at the injustice of it all. “Marvelous.”

Snapping his helmet into place, he glanced out the hole to his right and wondered if the kinetic barrier would hold long enough to reach the surface. The shuttle was already rushing through the upper atmosphere.

Dragging himself out of the pilot's seat, he ran back into the crew section. There were a few living bodies among those on the floor. Most of them were crawling into seats and strapping themselves in when the alarm klaxon began wailing again.

“Helmets, now!” Garrus shouted as he blew by them. He did not wait to see if they followed his orders, he had manual override controls to access in the rear of the shuttle. As soon as he reached the engine core, he dropped to his knees and tore the access panel lose. Grabbing the two levers beneath it, he began pumping them vigorously. Those levers, once primed, would power the emergency thrusters. With enough pressure, they might just provide them with a survivable crash instead of the alternative.

“Warning: terminal descent velocity. Impact imminent.” the shuttle's computer droned.

Growling, he threw everything he had into pumping those two levers. “ _I'm not gonna die in this_ _tin can!_ ”

The lever in his right hand issued a faint click and locked in place. A few seconds later, the left lever followed suit. The gauge between them was in the green and a quiet beep issued from the small console it was set into. He breathed a silent thanks to the spirits and flipped a series of switches below that gauge. Another beep issued along with a faint clang. He hit the big red button above the guage and was forced to brace himself with his hands as the thrusters suddenly kicked in and decreased their descent with a hard thump.

“Emergency thrusters engaged. Acceleration decreased by two hundred kph. Warning: unsafe descent velocity. Impact imminent.”

“Shut. Up.” Garrus snarled at the computer. He knew it would do no good. It was hardwired to blurt those warnings out.

After a few seconds, their speed leveled off and he was able to stand. He practically threw himself at the nearest seat and struggled into the harness. Glancing up, he saw a few of the others who had not yet strapped themselves in. “Secure harnesses! Brace for impact!”

As they dropped through the atmosphere, the shuttle shook and bucked from the turbulence. Garrus squeezed his eyes shut and prayed to whatever deity might be listening that he survived the coming crash. He was really beginning to hate this war and sadly, he knew it was only just getting started.

“Impact in five.....four.....three......two......”

The shuttle hit with a loud boom. A field of stars exploded behind his eyelids. It lasted milliseconds and his mind spun out into oblivion. His last coherent thought; an image of Shepard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I dearly love Garrus. Don't believe for a minute that the torture is from any kind of malice. I strongly feel he has some very unique skill sets to get where he eventually is when we find him in ME3. I'm meaning to shed some light on those. =)


	26. Dodging a Bullet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard is forced to leave a child behind as she and Anderson head toward the spaceport.

Climbing to the top of the next building, Shepard panted once she reached the top of the ladder. She did not have long to catch her breath, however. The second she moved toward the half-wall on the other side, she was forced to dodge back and take cover. The Reaper beam blasted through the small penthouse apartment she had seen from her window earlier. The dust had not even begun to settle when she ran through the shattered door toward an undamaged door deeper in the structure. She forced it open and jumped back as a husk reached for her. Balling up a biotic charge, she thrust her hand at it and blasted it back. When it did not return, she forced the door open and called for Anderson.

The moment the man moved toward her, a clatter drew her attention toward a ventilation duct. She glanced at Anderson and nodded toward the opening while she headed back to that duct. Kneeling down, she peeked in and inhaled sharply. The child she had seen playing on that patch of green earlier was tucking himself deeper into the duct.

“It's ok.” she said softly to the boy as he crawled backwards.

He shook his head, “Everyone's dying.”

Explosions were still rocking the building and she glanced away for a second. Looking back, she reached toward him. “Come here. I need to get you someplace safe. Take my hand....”

“You can't help me.” the boy whined.

“Shepard!” Anderson barked as he headed through the door he had finished forcing open. “In here.”

Shepard's head snapped toward him and when she looked back, the boy was gone. It bothered her a great deal to leave a child behind like that, but she had not time. If she stayed, she was more likely to die than to find him. She kicked herself hard for that one as she stood and followed Anderson quickly through that door.

“Argh...This is a damned mess. Every minute these machines are here, thousands of people die. I won't be responsible.” Anderson snarled as he dug his way through the debris.

“It's hard enough fighting a war, but it's worse knowing that no matter how hard you try – you can't save them all.” Shepard said, her thoughts turning toward that young boy she had just left behind.

“Exactly.” Anderson agreed as he crawled through a wide space in a girder. He stood and shifted some wreckage for her to follow. “They hit so fast.... I thought we'd have more time.”

“We knew they were coming.” Shepard said as she lifted something out of the way to help him pass.

“And they still cut through our defenses.” Anderson grumbled, the disbelief still evident in his voice. “We need to go to the Citadel. Talk to the Council.”

“The Citadel? The fight's here.” Shepard was barely controlling her outrage at the thought of leaving Earth.

“It'll be everywhere soon enough. You said it yourself.... The Reapers will destroy everything if we don't stop them.” Anderson seemed to have come to understand a profound truth. His voice sounded more humble than she had heard in years. A moment later he was pressing his back against a wall and squeezing his way through a tight gap. “The Council....has to....help...us.”

Shepard followed and they both came out on a ledge. “You sure about that?”

“No, but you're a Council Spectre. That has to count for something.” Anderson stated as they both side-stepped along that edge looking for a wider space to travel in.

The ground rumbled and shook with a distant Reaper beam and Shepard teetered forward, her foot slipping off the edge. If not for Anderson, she might have fallen to her death right there.

“Gotcha..” Anderson said as his hand snared in the back of her shirt. He pulled her back to balance quickly.

“Thanks.” Shepard's voice was crisp with the sudden fear that had clinched her heart. “I owe you one.”  
“More than one.” there was a snarky note to his voice and a faint grin on his face. As they found a wide spot and hopped down to the next ledge, he tried his comm link again. “Major Alenko, we're in sight of the spaceport. ETA: three minutes.”

“We've made it to the Normandy. Taking heavy fire – Oh god! They're gonna take down the dreadnaught! Evasive maneuvers!”

“Major? Kaidan! Dammit! They're in trouble. We need to hurry.” Anderson jogged across the ruined platform.

Shepard followed him and watched a girder fall. They stepped out onto a shaky extension just as the dreadnaught Kaidan had mentioned exploded. The shockwave hit them and threw them backwards as the platform beneath them let go. She let out a yell as they slid at least three stories to roll onto what might once have been a delivery dock.

No sooner than they were on their feet again, Anderson was calling the major again. “Normandy, we're going to reroute. Do you copy?”

The transmission next was garbled, it was clearly Kaidan, but neither of them could understand him. He was alive and the Normandy was still airborn. There was that, at least.

“Normandy, come in!” Anderson made it to the next edge and looked down. There were two men below. One trapped under the girder she had seen fall moments before. “Friendlies.”

Shepard wasted no time in dropping to their level. “You two alright?”

“Get down! They'll see you!” the medic snapped as he looked up at her.

Looking up in the direction his eyes were locked on, she saw what looked like it might once have been a batarian. It was a husk now, for a certainty. She ran to a downed girder with some slabs of metal still attached and ducked down. Settling in to fight them off, she checked her thermal clip. _Not good. Not a lot of rounds left. Don't have my amp. I'll have to hit 'em with raw biotics. Dammit, that's gonna hurt later._

“Keep your head down!” Anderson barked at the medic and the man down as he joined her behind the thin shelter.

It was an easy fight. One-and-done when she slung a singularity out at the group of batarian husks. Anderson slipped away and called her back to the wounded man a couple of minutes later. She ran the back of her hand under her nose and glanced at it with a sigh. _Blood, wonderful. Need that amp soon_.

“What happened here?” he was asking them.

“Our gunship was shot down... We barely made it.” the medic answered.

“You got a radio? We're trying to contact our ship.” Anderson was determined.

“No, there's one in the gunship, but it's gonna be crawlin' with those things.”

“Stay here, son. We'll get you out of here.” Confidence, it sounded forced to Shepard.

Standing, she looked the destruction over and caught sight of the tail of their gunship. She noticed Anderson reaching down for the edge of the girder. She realized he was going to need her help so she grabbed the other side. They lifted it just enough for the trapped man to roll free. He groaned as he did, his leg looked intact. The medic dragged him clear and began assessing the damage. _Lucky. He could have lost it. Could be bleeding out right now_.

“Come on, let's get to that gunship. We need that radio.” Anderson said as he straightened.

Shepard took point, not really a good idea for an Adept, but she generally did it anyway. She was tough, armor or no armor. There were more of those things near the downed gunship. They seemed to swarm up out of the wreckage around it. She took careful aim and pinged one between the eyes with her pistol. The second it fell, three others fell on it and began to eat it.

“Oh god....cannibals.....” Shepard hissed as she hit one of them with a warp. It cost her. Every biotic attack was costing her without the amp to buffer the energy.

“You ok, Shepard?” Anderson called from his vantage.

“Fine...” she grumbled as she wiped away the nosebleed she knew he had seen. She let out a yell as she lifted the last one with her biotics and threw it into the bay.

“Over here. I found the radio.” Anderson called as he knelt beside a half shattered console.

“You sure it still works?”

“Only one way to find out.” he pulled up the holo-controls and tapped in his command codes. “Normandy, this is Anderson. Do you read?”

“Admiral. What's your location?” Kaidan's voice came through clearly as Shepard scanned the area to make sure it remained clear of hostiles.

“I'm by a downed gunship in the harbor. I'm activating its distress beacon. Send support. We've got wounded down here.”

The radio sizzled and popped as Kaidan replied. It was nothing but digital garbage. Shepard glared at it, but she was not surprised. She had not thought the thing would work at all.

“ _Dammit_. Lost the signal.” Anderson snapped.

“Yeah, that seems to be the flavor of the day.” Shepard commented. Turning serious again, she looked him in the eyes. “Let's hope that beacon does its job.”

“It better work fast. We've got company.” her pointed up at the pile at the streamers of fire shooting across the sky. They were raining in like meteors.

“Not these guys again.” Shepard grumbled.


	27. Out of the Frying Pan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus finds himself dangling from his harness in the wreckage of the shuttle.

“Uhhh....” Garrus moaned and realized he was dangling from his harness as he peeled his eyes open. His head felt as if he had headbutted Wrex and Grunt at the same time while hungover. The second thing he realized was his helmet and visor were gone. They must have come loose during the crash.

Looking around his current surroundings, he noted that the shuttle had done a fair job of tearing itself apart. Most of the ceiling was gone. The starboard side was completely twisted open now. It looked as if someone had taken a can opener to it. The men he had attempted to save where nowhere to be seen. He did not see blood either. That had to be a good sign. It was just possible they were alive. Maybe they thought he was dead and took his helmet and visor to report it. That was the most plausible of ideas.

After a moment, he looked directly below him. Dirt, rocks, nothing major to worry about injuring himself on when he dropped. It was probably a ten foot drop. The starboard cross-member had wedged into the dirt and left him sitting higher than most of the twisted port side. As he looked down, he realized there really was no choice about what he needed to do.

Reaching around to the sheath at his hip, he pulled his blade. _No time like the present_ , he thought as he slipped it between his armor and the straps holding him in place. The blade was razor sharp and a quick twist of his wrist parted the straps. He experienced a moment of weightlessness just before he hit the ground. It knocked the breath out of him and his face banged into the dirt.

“This......sucks.....” he grumbled as he snorted dirt out of his nose. He wondered idly what Shepard would think of his recent vocabulary.

Sitting up, he worked his way to his feet. His joins hurt and he wondered how long he had been hanging there. The sound of Reaper fire caused him to crouch instinctively and look toward the sky. When the beam did not hit near him, he relaxed and began to examine his surroundings. By some miracle, he found his duffle with the bottle of wine inside. It was still in one piece and he nearly laughed in relief. He tossed the strap over his shoulder, determined to take it with him.

As he continued to search the area, he began to notice footprints and followed them out of the twisted hulk of the shuttle. They led down a hill toward what he knew to be one of the many entrances into the underground portion of the base. The door was embedded in a rise that could almost have been called a small mountain.

Relief flooded him as he picked up the pace to that door. It was sealed, but that did not matter. Even if he had not had clearance, he still would have gotten it open. He would have hacked the security lock if necessary. As it was, his clearance codes were recognized and the door slid open. As soon as it opened, he slipped inside.

The facility was not quiet, by any means. It was abuzz with noise, voices, bangs, muffled sounds of combat from above. He made his way down the hall a little ways before coming to a sign pointing toward the command center. That was where he needed to be. He was sure he might find his missing visor there as well.

“Praetor! Praetor Vakarian!” came the voice of one of the soldiers who had been on the shuttle with him. “Sir, we thought you were dead!”

“I'm hard to kill....” Garrus answered as the other stopped before him.

“Sir...” the soldier held out his visor. “This is yours.”

“Thanks.” Garrus said sounding relieved as he took the visor and reached up to snap it back into place. He had worn the thing so long he felt naked without it now.

“Command took over the western bunker. General Corinthus is there with General Victus. They're planning a line of defense with strategic strikes.”

“Lead the way.” Garrus said and motioned for the younger male to go on ahead.


	28. Innocence Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Calvary arrives in the nick of time.

“The Calvary has arrived.” Kaidan's voice spilled over the airwaves as the Normandy swooped into view. It fired a couple of short bursts at the remaining cannibals before coming in for pick-up.

“Let's go!” Shepard shouted as she ran toward her ship, hopping up and sliding over a ventilation housing.

Anderson ran along behind her. As the shuttle bay hatch lowered, she ran for it and jumped. Landing with a grunt, she refused Kaidan's hand when he reached out to steady her. A part of her did not want to touch him, not after Horizon, not after all that had passed between herself and Garrus.

As she turned to see where Anderson was, Kaidan narrowed his eyes at her. “Welcome aboard, Shepard.”

“Thanks.” her response was clipped.

Anderson stopped at the edge of the debris. “Shepard.”

“Come on!” she called. She had no intention of leaving him there.

As a shuttle drew close to the area they had left the medic and his patient, they both glanced at it. Shepard could see it in his eyes, that hit of stubborn honor she respected so much. She had know what he would say before he said it. “I'm not going.”

Shepard shook her head at him, eyes narrowed as she tucked her pistol into the belt of her pants near the small of her back. Her words were little more than a growl. “I'm not leaving you here to die.”

Anderson pointing back the way they had come. “You saw those men back there. There's a million more like them....and they need a leader.”

“We're in this fight together, Anderson.” she said simply, but she knew him. Once he made his mind up about something, he did not let it go.

“It's a fight we can't win. Not without help. We both know it.” Anderson shook his head and locked eyes with her. “We need everyone, every species working together on this. We need their ships and firepower to even stand a chance at defeating the Reapers. That's why I'm sending you to the Citadel. Talk to the Council. Convince them to help us.”

Shepard slung and arm out in frustration and let it drop back to her side. “What if they won't listen?”

“Then _make_ them listen. Now go! That's an order.”

Shepard shook her head, a faint smile touching her lips. “Did you forget? I'm not Alliance Navy anymore.”

Anderson pulled something out of his pocket and looked at it for a second before tossing it to her. As she caught it, he said. “Consider yourself reinstated.... Commander.”

Shepard looked down at her dog tags, the chain dangling from her hand. Such a small thing. Her name and serial number stamp into the metal of one tag, the Alliance logo and her rank stamped into the other. The thin black bands around the tags warmed at her touch. It felt good to have them back.

Looking back to Anderson, she nodded. “I'll be back for you, and I'll bring every fleet I can..... Good luck.”

“You too, Shepard.” Anderson nodded.

Stepping further up the ramp, she glared at Kaidan as she turned and watched Anderson run back to the wounded man. More shuttles were coming in to pick up survivors. She watched as they hovered bare feet from the debris and loaded dozens of walking-wounded. Her eyes widened when she saw the boy among them, the boy she had been forced to leave behind. He looked scared as he covered his ears.

Silently, Shepard encouraged him to go to one of the shuttles. He looked up and they made eye contact briefly as a Reaper stepped closer to the shuttles. The boy flinched and covered his ears at the awful noise it made. His eyes locked on the metal monster as its primary weapon began to charge. Terror filled his face as he turned and ran for one of the shuttles.

“Go..” Shepard whispered as he climbed aboard it and the hatch closed behind him. The soldier outside hit it once to signal the pilot to take off.

As the pair of shuttles lifted off, she was sure they were safe. Her heart pounded with the realization that she had not failed that child after all. The beacon Anderson turned on had drawn the rescue parties in.

An instant later, her breath gusted out of her in a half sob of disbelief. The Reaper fired its primary weapon in a sweeping pattern. First one shuttle, then the other were caught in the beam. Both exploded, the blast rocking the Normandy. She closed her eyes against the sting of tears she refused to let loose. As the Normandy's shuttle bay began to close, she glared at the Reaper with renewed hatred and determination. _I'll destroy every last one of these bastards with my bare hands, if I have to_.


	29. Into the Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Normandy leaves Earth behind.

The Normandy shook and shuddered in the turbulence caused by nearby explosions as they pulled out of Earth's atmosphere. They dodge incoming Reapers and blazing debris spanning nearly the entire distance between Earth and her moon. It was a harrowing sight. Kaidan watched Shepard walk stiffly to the bench her gear had been haphazardly tossed on in their haste to get aboard the Normandy. Vega had tossed it there.

Looking over his assault rifle, Kaidan looked up when he heard Vega and Shepard heading his way. The meat mountain was irate, it was clear from the way he walked and flipped his hands around. Clearly, he wanted answers.

“What the hell's going on? Where's Anderson? Where are we going?” Vega demanded as he tried to keep up with Shepard's quick pace. He stopped and when Shepard kept going, he yelled. “Hey!”

“We're leavin'.” She glanced back at him with that look. The one Kaidan remembered well. It said simply, 'don't fuck with me, I have to do this'.

“Leaving?” Vega's voice cracked.

Kaidan put his rifle down and glared at her. Taking a couple of steps toward her, he frowned a little deeper. _Was she always so much shorter?_ The doubts about this woman really being 'his' Shepard were fighting for dominance. “What's going on?”

Shepard half turned to look at him. _Same eyes, same face, same hair, so why does it feel like she's not the same woman?_ She answered him then. “Anderson wants us to go to the Citadel, get help for the fight.”

“Bullshit!” James snapped at her answer. “He wouldn't order us to leave!”

 _Here it comes_ , Kaidan almost smiled at the dark look she gave the other man as she stepped right up in his face. He was glad he was not currently on the receiving end of that wrath. There were a few times he had been and he had not cared for it.

“We don't have a choice! Without help, this war is already over. We lose, game over. You got it?” Shepard growled.

“I'm not leaving. Drop me off somewhere.” Vega stood his ground. Brave or stupid, Kaidan did not know which.

Shepard's expression darkened even further. Kaidan took a slight step back. Rarely had he ever seen her that angry off the battlefield. Even if she was not 'his' Shepard, she was as close as it got. She took one last step forward and poked Vega in the chest. “ _Enough!_ Don't you think I'd rather stay and fight? We're _going_ to the Citadel... You want out, you can catch a ride back from there.”

Vega threw his hands up and walked away at that. Kaidan thought that was the wiser choice. Piss Shepard off too much and she might just toss his ass into an escape pod and eject him. Let the Alliance pick him up later. He had seen her on the edge of that with Jenkins before the man was killed on Eden Prime. She had literally tossed him into an escape pod. If Nihlus had not talked her out of it.... _Well, Jenkins might still be alive. Maybe she was right._

“Commander..” Joker's voice came over the ship's comm.

“Joker... that you?” Shepard seemed surprised to hear his voice.

“Alive and kicking. Got an emergency transmission from Admiral Hackett for you.”

“Patch it through.” Shepard said and Kaidan watched Vega come to a stop before he hit the elevator.

The video twitched, lines ran through and static distorted the audio as the transmission was patched into a nearby console. “Shepard...... sustained heavy losses.....force was overwhelming.......no way we can defeat them conventionally.”

“Anderson's already ordered me to the Citadel, to talk to the Council.” Shepard leaned a little closer to the console, clearly hoping to catch more of what the admiral was saying.

“First, we need you to...outpost on Mars.....we lose control of the system...”

“Yes sir.” Shepard nodded.

“......been researching the Prothean Archives with Dr. T'Soni...... found a way to stop the Reapers.....only way to stop them......in contact soon......Hackett out.” the entire transmission had been choppy, filled with static and digital interference.

“Joker, set a course to the Mars Archives.” Shepard touched a button on the console and patched through to the pilot.

“Mars? Roger that.” Joker knew better than to ask too many questions.

“This is loco.” Vega complained as he stepped up to Kaidan.

They both watched Shepard head off toward the table full of gear at a quick clip, determination evident in ever line of her body. Kaidan had seen that walk dozens of times. He still could not figure out why Hackett was sending them to Mars and voiced as much. “Why Mars? What does he think we'll find there?”

“I don't know yet, but if it helps win this war....” Shepard was saying as she picked up a pistol and checked it over. She glanced up for a second as the tow arms locked the kodiak in place. A heartbeat later, she picked up the chest plate of her armor. “Grab your gear.”


	30. Mars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team lands on Mars with more questions than answers.

The Normandy popped into the space above Mars in a blink. Shepard followed James and Kaidan into the kodiak. They took the shuttle to the surface of the red planet. She would give him credit, James was a good pilot. He handled the turbulence of Mars' atmosphere like a pro.

Leaning on the back of his seat to listen to Joker's transmission. “I've been trying to reach Mars on secure channels. No one's answering.”

“Any sign of Reaper activity?” Shepard asked as Vega corrected the starboard thruster against some extra turbulence.

“Negative.” Joker answered.

“EDI?” Shepard addressed the AI.

“The base appears to be online. It's possible the inhabitants were evacuated.” EDI answered.

Shepard turned and looked at the shuttle hatch. There was worry on her face and she knew it. “We'll know soon enough. Be ready, Joker,.....just in case.”

“Roger that. Normandy out.” Joker replied.

Using the personnel handles like monkey-bars, Shepard made her way to the back of the shuttle. Kaidan was sitting on the rear bench and got to his feet. She ignored him as she stepped up to the hatch. He was not her first choice for a mission like this. If she was being honest with herself, something felt off having him there. She could not quite pin down what it was. Maybe it was the way he was looking at her. There was a mixture of longing and suspicion on his face. That had to be it, she realized. The man still wanted her, but he did not trust her. She knew trouble was brewing just under that face and she wanted no part of it.

“We're almost there.” James stated as he adjusted the shuttle's pitch.

Shepard slipped her helmet on and locked it down as they dropped toward the surface. The rush of atmosphere was misleading. Mars did not have enough oxygen to support life. What it had was poisonous to most species, if not all.

“Still no contact from the base, but we've got a massive storm headed our way.” Vega's voice came over her helmet's comm.

Kaidan settled his own helmet in place just as they touched down. He walked from one end of the shuttle to the other with long strides. She had forgotten how tall he was. Not nearly as tall as Garrus, but still taller than her. Somehow she was already annoyed. She knew that stride, he was agitated.

“How long till it hits us?” she asked Vega in regards to the storm he had mentioned.

“Half hour, tops. After that, we're gonna have difficulty keeping up comms with the Normandy.” Vega stated as he secured his own helmet.

“Understood.” Shepard said and released the hatch the moment she was sure all helmets were secure. Stepping out onto martian soil, she turned to look at the wall of the storm baring down on them.

“Damn... That's a huge storm. Looks a lot bigger in person.” James echoed her thoughts exactly.

“Pretty average for Mars, actually.” Kaidan said and he sounded just a little sarcastic.

“I'm glad you're so optimistic.” James snarked.

“We've got Reapers invading Earth, the station here is offline....a little dust storm seems like the least of our worries.” Kaidan fired back.

“Fair enough.” James relented.

_God..._..Shepard rolled her eyes and grumbled silently. _Could they hose the planet down with testosterone on their own time?_ She nearly said it and had to bite her tongue against the words. Instead, she said, “Stow it, you two. We've got a base to secure.”

Neither of them said a word. She had not expected they would as she headed for a short ledge. Hopping down, she drew in close to the bodies near the storage bunker. It was worse than she thought. They had been gunned down.

“He's Alliance. Sargent Reeves. Doesn't look like he put up a fight before he died.” Kaidan said as he knelt beside the body.

“Something's not right here.” James said suspiciously.

“Keep a low profile until we know what's going on.” Shepard said as she checked the gps in her omni-tool.

“Roger that.” James responded.

Kaidan was logging the deaths of the two men before them as she checked them over for weapons and ammo. He glared at her when she retrieved several clips from Reeves. When she carefully removed the rifle from the other man's hand, she thought the major was going to come unglued.

“He's dead, Kaidan. He doesn't need it anymore.” she stood and tossed the rifle to James, who caught it deftly. “It might come in handy if we run across resistance.”

There had been a time, not so long ago, when she would not have even considered taking a dead man's gear. That was before the Collectors killed her, before the Reapers hit Earth and turned her entire world into a war zone. Now, anything that could be salvaged and used to survive was fair game. She expected her team to respect that, respect the dead, but use whatever they left behind. They could not afford to waste resources over an ancient taboo.

Moving on, they came to a couple of downed solar panels. Shepard took cover behind one the instant she spotted the armed men down the hill. A sneer of anger twisted her features as she watched one of them fire his pistol point-blank into the head of an unarmed man on his knees.

“Holy shit! They're executing them!” James exclaimed in disbelief.

Shepard gave them a hand signal meaning for the two men to take cover. She pulled the sniper rifle from her back and leveled it on the edge of the solar panel. Garrus had dared her to fire some rounds off with his rifle once and was shocked at her accuracy. Honestly, so was she. She had conned James into letter her practice with a rifle during her incarceration. As it turned out, her accuracy with the turian's gun was not a fluke. She had a talent for it.

Now she lined her target's head up in the cross-hairs and took a breath. Exhaling, she fired and nearly took his head off. The second he went down the others scrambled for cover. She saw the logo on her next target's chest; Cerberus. A moment of hesitation struck her before she dropped him as well.

“Call for backup!” one of them shouted. It sizzled over an open airwave.

“Throw down your weapons. We won't hurt you.” another shouted in her direction.

“Fat chance of that.” Shepard hissed under her breath and tossed a shockwave out in an effort to knock the men off balance.

“These guys don't fight like scientists.” one of them grumbled just before James put a hole in his helmet.

Shepard took out two more and stood when the radar unit programmed into her omni-tool pinged green. “That's the last of them.”

“Those guys were Cerberus, weren't they?” James asked.

“Yeah, I think they were. Saw a Cerberus logo on a chest plate before I dropped one of them.” Shepard answered as they made their way down the hill.

Kaidan knelt next to the first guy she had killed and confirmed what they all had suspected. “Cerberus for sure, but what are they doing here on Mars?”

“Good question. Blocking communications, at the least.” Shepard said. She did not want to think about the worst case scenario. There were scientists living in that base. There might even be families there.

“You don't know?” Kaidan asked, a sarcastic note in his voice.

Shepard whirled around to face him at that, her gun lowered in a non-threatening position. “I'm not with them anymore, Kaidan, if that's what you're asking.”  
“It wasn't, but you have to admit, it's a bit.....convinient.” Kaidan snapped.

And there it was, the suspicion he had been hanging onto since Horizon. He was about two steps from insubordination with that opinion of his. There was only so much she was going to tolerate before she called him on it. “We've got a mission. Focus on it.”

“Look out!” James saw them first, more Cerberus troops up ahead swarming around a Maco.

Shepard darted forward and ducked behind a metal crate. She threw off a shockwave and knocked three of them off their feet. The fourth fired at her and grazed the top of her helmet. She dropped back down behind the crate.

“What the hell? I thought we dealt with security.” one of them growled as he regained his feet.

“It doesn't look like they came here in force.” James noted as he took one of them out.

Kaidan finally hit the last two with a warp. They screamed and dropped, armor distorted and ruptured at the seams. _Explosive decompression, not a pretty way to go_.

“Yeah, just a few vehicles.” Shepard noted as she stepped around one of those vehicles in sight of the entrance.

“Must've had help from the inside.” Kaidan suggested.

“You could be right.” she said grudgingly.

“No way they could take this facility with anything less than a full battalion.” Kaidan just could not let it go. He still sounded as if he thought she knew something about this.

Shepard ignored him as she made her way into the station's airlock. Once inside, she went straight for the control panel and initiated the seals. The ramp began to raise just as James and Kaidan stepped inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not bad for working through a migraine.....


	31. Into the Ducts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liara has thrown herself into the ventilation ducts to escape Cerberus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really short chapter here. They happen....

Liara barely had time to gab a breathing mask before Doctor Eva Core blew the airlocks. Most species would have suffered explosive decompression without some sort of protective suit. Not asari, they were made of tougher stuff. They're bodies could withstand the void itself without the kind of hardsuit most species favored.

She took cover the second she saw the Cerberus troops walk in. _This is bad, very bad_. She knew everyone else was dead. A few of them had dropped right in front of her. Friends, colleagues, she had known many of them, worked with them on the research that had become so crucial. If the Alliance had not asked her to shift through the Archives, she still would have come. Natearus had told her there was something critically important buried here. She had only just discovered it when Cerberus showed up. Eva must have found it too.

The asari did not use her biotics on the Cerberus troops, she avoided them. Better that she not draw too much attention to herself. After all, she was only one person. There were a good many of them all around the station's interior. They shot first and asked questions later.

Her head snapped up and she looked at the vent above her when the station began to pressurize again. Someone had sealed the airlocks. During her last contact with Hackett, he had mentioned sending someone to Mars for the information she had discovered. They both felt it might be the only way to stop the Reapers. She thought perhaps that was who had just sealed the airlocks and powered up the environmental controls. At least she hoped so. The alternative was unthinkable.

Liara started when a shot pinged near her head and she bolted from behind the crates where she had been hidden. She ran into the next room, past the troops who were looking for her. One of them had spotted her, but clearly she had lost him by darting in and out of the stacks of crates.

As soon as she neared the back of the room, she pulled the cover off one of the large air ducts and crawled in. Pulling the cover back up behind her did little good. The noise she made was hideous. They would find her no matter how far into the duct she went. All she could do was defend herself when they did.


	32. Questions of Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's becoming clear to Shepard just how little Kaidan trusts her.

Kaidan walked toward her like a man on a mission as soon as they were sealed in. “Shepard, I need a straight answer.”

“About what?” Shepard asked, the irritation in her voice bordering on real anger at this constant attitude of his.

“Do you know anything about why Cerberus is here?” he just blurted out his question.

Turning to face him fully, she tilted her head slightly to the side, a habit she had picked up from Garrus. “What, _exactly_ , makes you think I know what they're up to?”

Kaidan could not face her, he turned and rested his hands on the railing near the control panel. “You _worked_ for them, f _or god's sake_! How am I _not_ supposed to think that?”

“Let me make one thing clear right now.... I _did not_ work for them. They helped me take down the Collectors. That was the end of it.”

“There's more to it than that. They rebuilt you from the ground up. They gave you a ship, resources....” Kaidan kept chewing on the subject.

“Sure, I took their ship. I took their resources, but I blew the Collector base to hell and back. There's been no contact between me and Cerberus since.” Shepard growled. She continued after a moment when he still refused to look her in the eyes. “I have no idea why they're here or what they want.”  
James stepped into the conversation then with a very relevant point. “Commander Shepard's been under constant surveillance since coming back to Earth. No way they've communicated since.”

“Sorry, Shepard. It's just that....” he did not finish whatever he was going to say. The environmental system finally vented oxygen into the airlock.

Stepping away from him, Shepard took her helmet off, gazing down at the silvered streak along the left side of the crown. When she looked back at the major, her voice was full of barely controlled venom. “You don't trust Cerberus, _fine_ , but I am _done_ explaining myself to you.”

After taking his helmet off, he ran his hand through his hair in obvious discomfort. Shepard did not care. When she looked at him, she felt nothing. None of what she had felt for him before Horizon remained. She was glad of that, if she were being honest with herself. It was Garrus who had always been there for her. It would be Garrus she took down the entire Reaper fleet for. She had never felt that strongly for the man she turned her back on now. At that moment, he was showing his true colors and they were not beautiful.

The airlock's lift took them up into the main loading dock and she glanced at him as they stepped off. There would never be anything between them again, but she needed him to see this mission through. “Are we clear?”

“Perfectly. I didn't mean to – ” Kaidan was exasperated.

The sudden noise from the ventilation shaft sent them all into cover. There were the sounds of gunfire and grunting coming from the shaft. It was quick and sloppy. The cover dented outward a couple of times and a feminine grunt accompanied the clatter of it finally giving way.

Shepard's eyes widened as Liara dropped out of the duct and vaulted over a couple of tanks. The asari turned and threw a singularity at the two Cerberus troopers that followed her out. She wasted no time in pulling her pistol and popping each one before they fell to the floor. Her face was a mask of cold hatred when she stepped over to the one closest to her and leveled her gun at his chest. Two shots, then she aimed at his companion. Two more shots and the room was silent.

When she lowered the weapon, Shepard stepped out of cover. James picked up his pace and stepped abreast of her, his rifle trained on the asari. Noticing the tension in his arms, she put her hand on his rifle and pushed it down gently. “Easy there, lieutenant. She's with us.”  
“Shepard. Thank the goddess you're alive.” Liara said when she turned and saw the commander walking toward her. “I was worried when the reports came in. They hit Earth hard...”

“Yeah.... It was hard to leave like that.” Kaidan said coming up to stand next to Shepard.

“Kaidan...... I'm sorry....” Liara directed her concern toward him for a moment. Her attention shifted back to Shepard with a slight frown. “But..... why'd you come here?”

“Hackett, sent us. The comm was choppy, hard to hear, but he mentioned you. He say you knew a way to stop the Reapers.”

“I do.” Liara said with a smug look and turned to walk toward a large window overlooking the central hub of the base.

“Hallelujah. Some answers. Finally.” James said as he and Kaidan followed them.

“Maybe.....” Liara turned and said at length. “I've discovered plans for a Prothean device. One that could wipe out the Reapers.”

“Here? On Mars?” Shepard asked as she caught up to the woman.

She directed their attention the the superstructure at the center of the base. “In the Prothean Archives, yes.”

“We've known about the Archives for decades. Why now?” Shepard's question was more speculative as she stepped up to that window and looked out.

“Process of elimination, mixed with a little desperation.” Liara pointed out. “When you destroyed the Alpha Relay, you bought us some time. I knew I had to make good use of it. A mutual friend suggested I start looking here.”

Shepard's attention snapped back to the smug looking asari with her arms crossed. The light went on almost immediately. “Nana....”

“Yes. She contacted me just after she heard from you. I came to Mars immediately and began digging through the Archives.” she paused thoughtfully and glanced out that window. “I heard from Hackett after you were....detained. He suggested I use my Shadow Broker resources to dig deeper and find a way to stop the Reapers. At his request, I was given 'legal' access to the Archives. He kept me updated on your status while I worked. I meant to come see you, but...”

“I was under house arrest. There wasn't much I could do to help you, anyway.” Shepard commented.

“I suppose you're right.” Liara said as she turned and stepped away. “In any case, my work paid off. There's an overwhelming amount of data here. The Archives are full of information and I may have found what we need.”

“I guess I'm still skeptical about a Prothean weapon. The Reapers wiped them out. Why didn't they use this weapon?”

“It's not a weapon, not yet. It's more like a blueprint, plans for something huge. They didn't complete it in time. At least that's what I can gather.” Liara shrugged.

“Alright... It's more than we had a minute ago. Where do we get these plans?” Shepard asked as she glanced back out the window.

“We have to go across the tramway. The Archives are on the other side.” Liara pointed at a 'bridge' of steel girders. “Assuming Cerberus hasn't locked it down.”

“They seem hell-bent on catching you. What are they want with you?” James asked as he stepped forward and looked the smaller asari in the eyes.

“The want what I'm here for....what we're all here for.” Liara said softly.

“But why? What can they possibly hope to gain by grabbing those plans?” Shepard asked, her voice like ice.

“The Protheans were close, closer than anyone has ever been, to defeating the Reapers. They simply ran out of time.”

“And anything powerful enough to destroy the Reapers.....” Kaidan stepped in with a valid point.

Shepard locked eyes with him and pointed a finger for emphasis at his idea, “Just might be something Cerberus would be interested in.”

“So it's a race to the Archives.” James said pointing out the window.

The moment he said it, the whole place seemed to shake as if from some massive explosion somewhere. Shepard heard it first, the hissing sound of a cutting torch. She lead her team out into the open space of the loading dock and looked for the source. The seal on a door across the big room was being cut.

“We've got company.” she grumbled.


	33. Through the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard and her team finally have an idea why Cerberus is on Mars. The question is; can they beat them to the prize?

“Bring it on.” James sneered with a bit too much enthusiasm as he checked the safety on his assault rifle.

“Not this time, James.” Shepard said, eyeing him sharply.

“What?” he snapped and looked back up at her.

“Get back to the shuttle. If Cerberus beats us to the Archives, I need you covering the exits.” Shepard's though made a certain kind of sense.

“But....” James protested.

“Now, lieutenant.” Shepard narrowed her eyes at him and growled.

James started to say something and instead turned to go. He left at a jog.

“I hear them. We should take cover.” Kaidan kept his voice low as he crouched down behind a vehicle. He watched the others follow suit.

No sooner than they had taken cover, the door squealed and clanged as the troops on the other side forced it open. Several of them poured through the door before it was completely forced back into the pocket that held it. The smell of scorched metal was almost choking.

“There's the asari bitch!” one of the Cerberus troopers growled as he spotted Liara.

The fight was quick, over in mere minutes. Between the three biotics there was not much left of the troops but mush. As soon as they were down, Kaidan watched Liara ran for the elevator.

The asari hit the button, it started up nearly two feet and dropped back down. Hitting the railing with a fist, she snapped. “ _Dammit_ , they've sabotaged it.”

“There's gotta be another way.” Kaidan growled. He looked around, scanning the room for any way up to the next level. “How'd Cerberus get into the facility anyway?”

“I'm not sure. One minute we getting reports of the Reaper invasion, the next it was chaos. We didn't even realize it was Cerberus at first.”

“Could they be working with the Reapers?” now there was a horrible thought. Suspicious as he was of Shepard, even he had to admit she would probably draw the line at that kind of 'working relationship'.

As he scanned the area, he found a console and poked a couple of buttons. Seemed like it was his lucky day when the vehicle near the wall lifted up level with the upper floor. He smiled and took a half skipping step away from the console toward the ramp near the vehicle.

“I doubt Cerberus is that stupid, but anything's possible.” Shepard said quietly.

“Here. Got a way up.” Kaidan called from the ramp.

“Nice work, Major.” Shepard said as she followed him up.

Climbing up onto the top of the ramp, they each hopped over to the roof of the vehicle one by one. Shepard was the first over the railing and onto the walkway of the upper level. He watched her wishing he could take back at least half of what he had said to her on Horizon. Part of him wanted to take back the last several years, take them back to before the SR-1 was destroyed. _We had something special, didn't we? Is it possible to find our way back to that place? If I could trust her.... Dammit, I still wanna try_.

The second Shepard opened the only accessible door along that walkway, they saw the scientist go down under Cerberus fire. Kaidan had thought they were all dead, killed when the airlocks were released. There must have been a few hiding in the vehicles or some other pocket of atmosphere. The guy on the floor in a wet red smear certainly did not care now. They took cover the instant he went down.

Kaidan watched Shepard slip along the half-wall in a crouch as they heard the Cerberus commando calling for the other teams. He had to smile when she reached over that wall, grabbed the man and yanked him to her side, slamming him to the floor with a devastating punch to his throat. There was a touch of pride in his smile at the action. He had taught her that move.

Small pockets of troops, that was what they were finding along the way. Each one seemed to contain nor more than four or five men. They went down quickly under the assault of firearms and biotics. It struck him as odd that none the Cerberus troops had biotics. He had heard about Miranda. Joker had told him she was a biotic. _Must have been the only one stupid enough to get involved with Cerberus_.

“Dammit, security's been tampered with on the pedeway.” Liara grumbled as she slipped into the security center once they had entered another large room. She poked a few buttons on the console “Shepard, I have access to timestamped videos. No live feeds, but...”

Kaidan caught movement in the vid, movement from a woman who seemed to be running just a little too fast for a human. “Who's that woman in the vid?”

“That's Dr. Eva Core. She's been here about a week. I think she's the one who blew most of the science level's airlocks.”

“I'm not having any luck with this. We're not getting into the pedeway.” Shepard grumbled from the console she was accessing.

“Alright.” Liara said and checked a map of the location she was able to pull up. “There's some construction nearby. We may be able to get onto the roof. We should be able to find a way around from there.”

“Sounds good. Let's move.” Shepard nodded.

Kaidan often wondered if she would wade through a septic tank to get what she needed. The thought almost made him snort in disgust. He was certain she would. This was Shepard he was considering. He had seen her do some pretty crazy stuff to complete a mission. Then again, he had also seen her bend over backwards to save a life. That was the reason he had fallen so hard for her to begin with.

The moved onward toward the airlock. As soon as he and Shepard had their helmets on, she opened the airlock and moved out onto the roof. The wind nearly tore them off it. If not for the wall of piping to their right, it might have.

“That storm's getting closer.” Kaidan's eyes widened when he saw the storm's distance. A split second later, he caught movement and gunfire within the structure of steel girders across the way. “What the _hell_?”  
“Cerberus!” Shepard snarled. “They're still fighting some of the Alliance scientists.”  
“That tram leads to the Archives...” Liara said.

“Then we have to go, now.” Shepard snapped.

The comm link crackled and James' voice sizzled over the airway. “Commander. You read me?”

“Barely. The storm's getting too close.” Shepard responded.

“Tell me about it. I've lost contact with the Normandy. What's y.....” the transmission cut out.

“I didn't read that, James. Repeat?” Shepard said as she began climbing a ladder to the next roof level.

“I said.....” the transmission cut in and out even more.

“ _Dammit!_ ” Shepard barked as she made it to the top and crossed over to a walkway.

“That storm's going to be here very soon.” Liara stated the obvious.

“Yeah, I think it's already here.” Shepard grumbled.

Kaidan watched her jump across a gap before following with a heavier thump. Liara lost her balance and he grabbed her elbow to steady her. The asari smiled slightly and nodded her thanks.

“This airlock shouldn't be open. I thought Dr. Core only blew the cargo bay airlocks.” Liara breathed as she rushed forward.

“She must have made it over here. Was there anyone in this section?” Kaidan asked as he picked up his pace to join her.

“We've got bodies.” Shepard said from ahead of them.

“This is brutal....even by Cerberus standards.” Liara breathed as she entered the airlock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohh...god....I was in Kaidan's head. It's so.....slimy in there.... eeewwwwaaa.


	34. Threading the Needle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For every scientist the Cerberus troopers took down, Liara took two of them down in their honor.

Liara followed Shepard through the maze of the complex and counted each body they came across as one more strike against Cerberus. In her mind, those bodies represented at two troopers she meant to take down. She got a start on that revenge as they moved into the next room. There were a four troops one room over standing near a window. The second Shepard fired her pistol through the glass, she grabbed one with her biotics and threw him against the ceiling. His neck issued a loud, satisfying snap as she moved on to her next target.

The fight lasted precisely a minute and a half. They were an efficient team. She followed Shepard through the broken window, Kaidan bombarding her questions she really was not interested in answering. Did she know these people? Was she friends with any of them? She answered them with a sense of remorse. As the only asari in the facility, she had been shunned by most of them out of a sense of suspicion. There had been one or two who had befriended her, but she did not mention them.

“I spent most of my time alone, translating.” Liara finally admitted.

“And what did you discover?” Kaidan asked sounding a little skeptical of the whole thing.

“Bits and pieces, really. Clues. It took the Reapers centuries to conquer the Protheans. The researchers were desperately searching for a way to stop them. If my translations are correct, they found a way, but in the end, they didn't have the resources to follow through with their plan.” Liara elaborated. She was in her element and it was helping her keep her mind off the bodies of the dead just a few feet away.

They came to a monitoring station with environmental controls and she stepped forward to look the console over. “We need to pressurize the room first.” Fingers dancing over the controls, she looked up the instant the vents opened and began to flood the room with oxygen. There was a snapping clang of a lock releasing and she raised up. “There we go. We've got access to the labs. They'll take us right to the tram station.”

Kaidan took a breath as he looked over another monitor. “There's a recording here. You might wanna look at it.”

Liara's mouth dropped open as they watched Dr. Core shoot two of the security personnel then blow the airlocks. She had known, of course she had. The woman was suspicious, always recording trivial pieces of data, never being seen eating, along with a number of other things. There was no doubt she had blown the loading dock's airlock, but that could have been chalked up as an accident. Not this. This was deliberate, cold-hearted.

“I guess we know how Cerberus got in.” Shepard said quietly at her side.

“I should have realized it when she first arrived. I was so wrapped up in my research....” Liara was beating herself up. _If only I had paid more attention, none of this would have happened_.

“This isn't your fault, Liara. Finding a way to stop the Reapers is the only thing we should be worrying about right now. Your research may be the only way to do that.” Shepard was attempting to sooth her.

Leaning on the counter that held the console, Liara squeezed her eyes shut. “What if we're wrong, Shepard? What if there's no way to stop them? What if these are our last days and we spend them scurrying around trying to solve a problem that can't be fixed?”

“Come on, Liara.” Shepard's voice was stern in that moment. Her tone said simply; snap out of it.

“I know....I shouldn't think that way.” Liara finally pushed herself off that counter and turned to face the other woman. “I don't know how you do it. You've always stayed focused, even in the worst situations.”

“I think about what I'd lose if we failed.” Shepard said, rubbing a hand over the upper part of her left shoulder slowly. “There's too much at stake.”

Liara crossed her arms and shifted slightly. She watched the human for a moment and realized there was a look of longing in her eyes she had not noticed before. It was not directed at her. This was almost a far off look. “That's a terrible burden.”

“We'll stop them together, Liara. We have to.” Shepard said, voice filled with so much determination.

“I want to believe that...” Liara breathed quietly and turned to check the progress of the environmental controls. “Ok, door's open. We can get into the labs through here.”

“Alright, let's move.” Shepard nodded.

There were more troops along the way and Liara ticked each kill off as another chip of revenge for those who had died at the hands of Cerberus. Her heart had grown cold to the deaths of these operatives. They no longer seemed sentient to her as she took them down at Shepard's side. To her, they were little more that husks. It was easier to think of them that way. Each one hardened the brittle shell she had erected around her heart just a little more. She was no longer the child she had been upon first meeting Shepard.

Liara glanced at the woman a few times wonder what she would think if she had known then that she had been equal in age to a sixteen year old human girl with her first crush. It had been hero worship, she knew that now, but it had been real. It had led her to give Shepard's body to those they fought now in the hopes that they might bring her back. That hope had not proven fruitless as she had matured. _And now Shepard might be our only hope of defeating the Reapers. Will history writer her name in the stars or will it make her less than she is?_ It was a question she could not answer, but in her lifetime she would make sure history got the facts straight.

The fought their way through to the labs. So many more Cerberus troops were milling about the corridors than Liara had imagined. She kept counting.

“God, what's that stench?” Kaidan exclaimed and covered his nose and mouth as they made it the labs.

“Goddess....they just activated the decontamination protocols.” Liara's eyes had widened in shock and she stopped to stare through the large windows.

“With the staff still inside.” Kaidan's voice held a note of resignation.

“There's nothing we can do for them now.” Shepard muttered darkly as she deactivated the protocols.

The moment the lock released on the door, she opened it. Steam rolled out at them clogged with the smell of burning flesh. It nearly choked the three of them and caused the human's eyes to water. Liara simply stood her ground. It was horrible, yes, but it had very little affect on her physically.

As they entered the lab, Liara was forced to step over the unrecognizably charred body of one of the researchers. That sickened her more than the smell. How a sapient being could do that to another was beyond her. These men were cruel and the more she saw of their 'work' the she realized her initial assessment was correct; they were little more than husks. Savage, unfeeling creatures that deserved to be put down.

Passing through that containment lab, short though it was, was enlightening. She came through with renewed determination. The tram was just on the other side of that lab. She told Shepard as much when they passed through the door.


	35. The Eye of the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard is ready to hand Kaidan his head over his constant disbelief that she is who she appears to be.

“We'll need to override the security system. No doubt Cerberus has locked it down.” Liara said as she followed Shepard's lead.

As the moved through the next set of corridors, they came across the body of a Cerberus trooper. Apparently security had taken him out. The next set of doors were opened in short order.

“Head's up!” Kaidan yelled and ducked into cover as a gun turret opened fire.

“That's an understatement.” Shepard growled at him as she too took cover.

“I take it that's the only way in?” Kaidan asked as Liara tucked herself into the space between him and the door frame.

“It's the only way I know of.” she yelled over the rattle of gunfire.

“We'll skirt around it. Stay out of its sights.” Shepard said as she peeked around the inner door's frame and tried to calculate the best way to take inside.

“I'll move up first!” Kaidan took point even before the words had cleared his lips. He ran forward and ducked into the shelter of another bulkhead.

“Reckless idiot!” Shepard snarled under her breath as she ducked low and waited to see if he made it or not.

“Shit!” Kaidan snapped as he rolled to the next. Sparks flew from his arm when the turret clipped his armor.

Moving quickly, the launched themselves from bulkhead to bulkhead until they finally ducked behind the metal guard of a console. There were crates of spare parts conveniently stacked in a haphazard manor that provided them extra cover. They moved through the room quickly and beyond the range of the turret.

“Hold your positions!” the Cerberus commando snapped at his troops.

Shepard snugged herself up against the wall just inside the door and peeked around the corner. She counted four of them. _Easy targets_ , she thought with a smile as she threw a singularity their way. It caught them and she fired one shot each to put them down. It felt too easy, either that, or she was just getting too good. Whatever the reason, she took it gladly.

“Grenade!” Kaidan yelled as he took cover under a desk just inside the room

“Shit!” Shepard snapped as she ducked to the other side of the door. She had missed a couple of the troopers in her headcount.

The grenade went off with a small, contained explosion. It nearly tore the desk apart that Kaidan had hidden under. She found it almost comical that he had done the ancient 'duck and cover' maneuver. Fortunately for him, it had worked. The desk had shielded him from the worst of the blast.

Once the room was clear, they made their way into the central security hub. Liara ran forward and accessed the main console. A moment later she swore. “Dammit! They've made it to the Archives.”

“They're not gonna just send us a tram.” Kaidan grumbled.

The live camera feed went dark when Core shot the camera that was trained on her, but they had all heard her chewing on her team. No one in, no one out. The tram was locked down.

“Do you think you can override the lockout, Liara?” Shepard asked the asari. She was not sure of Liara's hacking skills. After all, the woman had managed to seal herself inside a Prothean security bubble once.

“No....” Liara sighed after pulling up the information on the console before them. “The Archives are on a separate network. We're completely locked out.”

“Short-range communicator....” Kaidan said thoughtfully behind the two women.

“Go on.” Shepard turned and looked at him. She was sure he was onto something.

“Helmet-to-helmet comm.” he continued as he paced across the space between consoles.

“And...” Shepard prompted.

“And we convince them we're one of their shock troopers. Tell them the Alliance has been taken care of.” Kaidan turned to face her again.

“That might just work. Now we need an intact helmet.” Shepard nodded. She thought for a moment. There were bodies nearby. Hopefully one of their helmets was still functional. After a moment, she noticed Liara staring at her. “What?”

“The major has become very capable.”

“Agreed.” Shepard said indifferently.

“Commander. You need to come see this.” Kaidan called from across the room.

“What have you got?” she asked coming in close to look down at the body he had found.

“Helmet's intact. Transmitter seems to be working. If I can...” the helmet released with the hiss of air and Kaidan suddenly stood up away from the body. “My god. He looks like a husk.”

“Yeah....” Shepard breathed in disbelief. “Not quite, but they've definitely done something to him.”

“You mean Cerberus..... They did this to their own guy?” Kaidan's voice was filled with a mixture of shock and disgust. It changed to suspicion and distrust with his next question as he locked eyes with her again. “Is this....what they did to _you_?”

“This? _Again_? How can you compare _me_ to.... _that_? I'm still me! I'm not gonna force you to come along on this mission if you can't trust me.”

“Shepard, I don't know _what_ you are.....or _who_....not since Cerberus rebuilt you. For all I know, you could be the Illusive Man's puppet.” Kaidan refused to look at her for several minutes. When he finally did, she saw a deep sadness coupled with contempt and suspicion there.

“I've overlooked the insubordination, the odd questions, even the suspicious looks, but questioning my _humanity_? _That's_ where I draw the line.” Shepard took a breath and tried to swallow her anger. It was not working. He had pushed her too far and she stepped up close, her chest plate bumping into his as she glared up at him defiantly. The top of her head barely reached his chin, but her anger right then was as big as the Normandy. It culminated in a nasty growl that dropped her voice a couple of octaves. “ _I am nobody's_ _puppet!_ Are. We. Clear on that?”

Kaidan took an uncomfortable step back from her and spread his hands. “I'm with you, Shepard. I've always been with you. I just wanted you to know why I...”

“I don't really care. We've got a mission to complete here. Let's get it done.” Shepard cut him off and walked back toward Liara's position.

After a moment, she heard Kaidan speaking into the transmitter from the dead trooper's helmet. “This is Delta team reporting in. Does anybody read me?”

“Where the hell have you been?” came the growling voice from the other end. “Never mind. What's your status?”

“We're at the tram station, awaiting extraction. All hostiles terminated.” he replied.

“Roger that. Echo team will ride over and secure the station.” the man said briefly.


	36. Through the Eye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard's words stung and Kaidan wondered if he was chasing shadows.

Shepard's words stung. He had not realized he had allowed his distrust of Cerberus to get so far out of hand. Thankful, that was what he should have been. Thankful that she was back, that she was here and that she was alive. He was, if he was honest with himself, but he could not shake the feeling that something was different about her. Something profound and earth-shattering, at least for him. The complete disregard and contempt for his feelings was new. Somehow, he did not believe that was the difference. She was completely disconnected from him, from 'them'. Some part of him was still in the 'couple' mode with her. She, obviously, was not. That had to be it. That had to be the change he felt so clearly and he desperately wanted to fix it.

After speaking to the team leader through the transmitter, he tossed it back in the dead man's lap and stepped toward the railing overlooking the loading dock for the tram. He looked toward Shepard and drew her attention by pointing toward the lower level. “We should take positions down there and flank them as they exit the tram.”

“Good idea, Major.” formal, impersonal, that was how she answered him.

There was no time to examine it when the tram pulled in. they rushed to position just as the safety door dropped. The fight was brutal, at least on Shepard's part. She threw just about every biotic skill she knew at them. It seemed to him, she even made up some along the way. Anger, that was what was driving her. He knew she was angry with him. Better that she take it out on the enemy rather then him, he realized when she slammed one against the ceiling and tossed him out over what must have been a thousand foot drop. She had combined a couple of skills. Not an easy thing. The man fell out of sight, screaming.

When it was over, Kaidan just looked at her. She was stronger than he remembered, more ruthless with her attacks. She had always been a powerful Adept, but this... This was so much more than she had ever been. He realized he did not want to be on the receiving end of that kind of skill or power.

“Secure helmets, we're taking this thing across.” Shepard said as she stepped onto the tram and snapped her helmet in place. As soon as she hit the controls, the airlock opened and a gust of dust peppered them. “Storm's getting bad. We better wrap this up fast.”

No sooner than the words were out of her mouth, a charge went off on their tram rail. Kaidan was thrown to the floor, his head and shoulders hanging over that thousand foot drop. He scrambled back quickly and tucked himself against the railing with a gasp. Gunfire erupted a second later from Shepard's pistol as the other tram lined up with theirs. _When are these guys gonna stop? I thought there were only a few here. More than we thought, that's for sure. Must have dropped more troops after the first wave_.

“Damn. They really don't want us getting in there.” Kaidan growled as he watched Shepard jump across to the other tram. His heart nearly stopped at that move. He could not decide if she was crazy or just reckless as he followed her.

They took down the rest of Echo team quickly enough. Shepard hit them with a shockwave from the rear of the tram and threw them all over the sides. It was a vicious move, but effective. She ran for the controls and had the tram moving again in seconds.

There were more troops waiting for them. They had known there would be. After all, the team leader he had spoken to had to be somewhere. It was a short fight. Shepard continued to use the rage he had triggered. He could not say that was a bad thing as they cleared the room.

The Archive itself was clear when the cautiously entered. That was until the Illusive Man popped up on the QEC no one had seen near the bank of computers. He stood there smoking his cigarette.

“Shepard.” his voice was neutral.

“Illusive Man...” Liara breathed as she drew her pistol and aimed it at the hologram. A second later, she put the gun away.

“Fascinating race, the Protheans. They left all this for us to discover, but we've squandered it. The Alliance has known about the Archives for thirty years, and what have they done with it?”

“What do you want?” Shepard asked him with all the enthusiasm of a lump of coal.

“What I've always wanted.” TIM said as he looked up at the Archives. The action drew their collective attention to the monoliths standing inside. “The data in these artifacts holds the key to solving the Reaper threat.”

“I've seen your solution. You're turning your own people into monsters.” Shepard growled at him.

“Hardly. They're being improved.”

“Improve? How? By turning them into mindless slaves?”

“That's what separates us, Shepard. Where you see a means to destroy, I see a way to control – to dominate and harness the Reaper's power. Imagine how strong humanity would be if we controlled them.”

“Are you completely off your nut? They are laying waste to Earth....and you're standing here hatching insane schemes!” Shepard snapped at him.

“You've always been short-sighted, Shepard. Your destruction of the Collector base proved that.”

“That base was an abomination. Hundreds of thousands of humans were murdered there.”

“This isn't your fight any longer, Shepard.” TIM took a hit off his cigarette. “You can't defeat the Reapers even with the Prothean data.”

“Maybe not, but I'm not giving up. I have allies everywhere, in every system. They'll join me in this fight.”

“The blind leading the blind.” TIM sighed with a twisted smile. “Destroying the Reapers is a wasted opportunity when we could use their power to bring humanity to the apex of evolution.”

“I have a better idea.... I use that data and send every last one of those mechanical bastards back to hell.”

“Pathetic, limited...you'd rob humanity of our destiny. You were a tool and despite our differences, you were relatively successful.” he glanced over his shoulder at something just out of range of the QEC. “But like the rest of the relics in this place, your time is over.”

“Enough of this. Liara, get the data. It's time to go.”

“I won't warn you again, Shepard. Walk away. Do not interfere.” TIM pointed his cigarette at her.

“Go to hell.” Shepard sneered at him.

“Shepard...” Liara called as she leaned over the computer.

“What?”

“The data.... it's not here. It's being erased.”

Kaidan's eyes snapped toward TIM as he stepped out of the QEC with a twisted smile. His head whipped back around to the two women the instant he heard Shepard's curse. “How? He can't have remote access, can he?”

“No, it's local. Someone's uploading the information.” Liara was working hard to head off the data leak.

Kaidan had begun to move around the room slowly. He was looking for anything that might lead to whoever was tampering with the data. As he moved around a corner he saw her; Dr. Core.

“Hey! Step away from the console.” he took a couple of steps forward, gun trained on her back. “Now!”

She was fast. A punch and a kick landed before he had time to register the movement. He went down with a grunt as she turned back toward the console. His eyes widened as she put her fist completely through it.

“She's got the data!” he yelled as he climbed to his feet, watching her bolt like a rabbit.


	37. Chasing the Rabbit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Cerberus Operative is not what she appears to be and she has the data.

“Dammit!” Shepard barked and took off like a shot after Core. “We can't lose that data!”

The doctor led her through a hell of a chase. Through doors and corridors, up ladders and out onto the roof. It struck Shepard the moment they stepped outside; the woman was not wearing protective gear. No helmet, no suit, nothing but her tight outfit in a nearly zero oxygen atmosphere. _Not human, she can't be_. The thought crossed her mind as she controlled her breathing for the distance sprint. She saw the kodiak pass overhead and silently thanked Vega for keeping his eyes open, until she realized it was a Cerberus shuttle.

“James, do you read me?” Shepard called as she chased the woman into an alcove. “Cerberus has the data.”

She was getting a lot of digital garbage, but she was fairly certain he had heard and replied. “Radio the Normand. Get them down here now!”

She chased the woman up yet another ladder to the top of the facility. All the while Core kept turning and firing on her or simply slinging her arm back to fire blindly as she ran. None of their attacks seemed to slow her.

“She's getting away!” Shepard yelled, nearly at the end of her endurance. The Cerberus shuttle came down close and Core jumped inside as Shepard reached the edge of the roof. “Dammit! James? Normand? Anybody?”

“I got this one.” came James' voice clearly over the comm.

Shepard's eyes widened as the kodiak came screaming in and crashed into the side of the Cerberus shuttle. “Shit!”

It happened in a matter of seconds. The shuttle practically exploded in a ball of fire as it slammed into the roof bare feet from her. She threw herself out of the way as it rolled over her. When it settled, she climbed to her feet and waved James down. He was circling, the kodiak barely scratched.

The second the shuttle landed, he was out the door. “Normandy's en route. They'll be here soon.”

“What the _hell_ were you thinking just now? You could have _killed_ us!” Shepard yelled and smacked his helmet with an open hand.

“You wanted the Cerberus shuttle stopped... I stopped it.” he shrugged.

“God...I think that space between your ears is loaded with a lump of hamburger.” Shepard growled as she walked away from him.

“We need that data.” Liara barked as Kaidan helped her to her feet and half carried her toward the kodiak.

The noise from the burning shuttle drew her eyes sharply toward it. When the hatch flew off she realized she was too far away to help them. Core stood seemingly untouched by the flames around her as Kaidan turned and drew his gun. She ran at him, bullets bouncing off her metallic body. In an instant she had grabbed the face-plate of his helmet and lifted him off his feet.

“Kaidan!” Shepard shouted and took aim at what was clearly a robot. She did not have a clear shot. The major was in the way as he dangled in the woman's grip. “Let him go.”

Core touched the comm in her ear and asked. “Orders?”

They all heard TIM's orders sizzle from the device. “Dispose of him.”  
A second later she turned and began slamming him into the side of the shuttle.

“No!” Shepard yelled. She might be angry with him, but that did not mean she wanted to see him killed. She started firing on the mechanical woman, unloading nearly her entire clip.

Kaidan had either passed out or was dead from the attack because Core dropped him and turned toward her. She ran head on at her, through the hail of bullets. The moment Shepard began to wonder if the woman was indestructible, she dropped with a sound like the geth made when they shorted out.

The moment she was sure it was down, she lowered her gun and called to James as she ran toward Kaidan. “Grab that thing. Bring it with us.”

“Commander, we got a Reaper signature in orbit.” Joker came over the comm sounding stressed.

Shepard grabbed Kaidan by the shoulders and dragged him toward the edge of the roof. The moment the Normand dropped low enough, she pulled him toward the ramp. Liara limped over and took one of his arms over her shoulder. She nodded to the asari and followed her example. Between them, they carried Kaidan up the ramp and into the Normandy's belly.


	38. Rising Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lilfrey proves the value of the Cabal as she makes her way across Menae

Running hard, jumping over the barricade, she slammed herself down into the dirt beside another soldier. Glancing at him, she realized he was dead, a gaping blue hole between his eyes. Without a second thought, she rifled through the pouches strapped across his chest for ammo. He no longer needed it. Raising up a fraction, she glanced over the edge of the barricade. They were still coming, those nightmares the Reapers had turned her people into. Marauders they were being called. Hard to kill was what they were. Most of their plates had been removed and, in some places, replaced with sheets of molded metal. They were no better than the geth in their relentlessness. Their targeting was otherworldly, but she suspected that was because their eyes had been replaced with cybernetics.

After a couple of steadying breaths, she bolted from cover again. That last soldier she had just left behind was the final man of her unit, all dead. She was the last one standing. As she ran, she felt as if she might be the last turian in the galaxy. At least the last one with a mind of their own. She could not justify calling the Marauders turians. They were Reaper-spawn now. The more of them that fell, the closer the galaxy was to striking a blow at those who would seek to annihilate them all.

“Come on, soldier! Move it! Let's go!” came a voice near a defensive wall that appeared to be hastily erected.

_Spirits._..., her mind practically screamed the word as she ran toward the battered gate. It dropped and she darted inside, spinning and returning fire on a particularly stubborn Marauder. Her mandibles were drawn in tight as she put three rounds through its head. When it dropped, she lowered her pistol and turned.

“Adrien?” she said in shock when she came face-to-face with her would-be rescuer.

“Lil...” the slightly taller turian nodded.

“Victus, we need to go. This outpost's not secure.” came the shout of another voice she recognized.

Stepping away from Victus, Lilfrey looked up at the command module a few feet away and saw the armored figure hop down and stagger out of a low crouch as he caught his balance. She would know him anywhere with those horrible scars across the right side of his face. The visor on the left would have given him away regardless. It seemed almost a permanent part of his head. He looked battle worn and tired.

“I thought you were dead, Vakarian.” she finally said as he stopped before her and Victus.

“Not quite.” Garrus nodded at her as his attention returned to the general. “We're out of time. These Reaper bastards are ripping through the walls like they're made of cloth.”

“We'll head for the command outpost. It's one of the first, better built and reinforced by now.” Victus nodded.

“It better be. It stood against the krogans during the rebellion.” Lilfrey added her opinion to the conversation.

“Riiight... If we're lucky, we can hold that position for awhile.” Garrus sounded relieved as he cocked his rifle and waited for Victus to take point. He glanced at her once more and nodded, “Good to see you, Lil.”

Lilfrey gave him a slight smile that barely spread her mandibles along with a nod as she popped the heat sync from her pistol and replaced it. After taking a steadying breath, she looked around the ruins of their current location, then hurried after Victus. From the sounds of his footfalls, Garrus was not far behind them.

There was a good amount of distance between outposts. Those had been strategically placed and dug in during the rebellion. Each had an access hatch to the underground facilities. Those tunnels doubled as escape routes. They were only useful if they were not blocked.

“Why aren't we using the tunnels?” Lilfrey called out to Victus. It made little sense to her to be traveling along the surface, putting themselves in danger, if they did not need to.

“Entrance was hit by a Brute. Bastard caved it completely in.” Victus answered.

“What the hell's a Brute?” she asked and her eyes widened as several streaks of fire crossed the horizon before them. She knew those streaks; Reaper-spawn.

“Here they come!” Garrus shouted as he ran up to the top of an outcropping and threw himself down to get a bead on the incoming targets.

Lilfrey took point and ran forward to fire off a few rounds at the Marauders. Her breath caught and she froze in place the moment she saw it. Huge and ugly, that was her only coherent thought in those first seconds. It looked like a giant krogan until it turned to face her.

“Oh _spirits_ , what the _fuck_ is that?” she gasped as the turian head turned and glared at her. It was missing the lower jaw and mandibles as well as any flesh it might have had.

“Brute! Aim for the eyes or the neck! Those are the weak spots!” Garrus shouted as he fired off a couple of rounds.

Lilfrey followed his advice and took out one of its eyes. It howled and charged toward her like a kantog. Her mouth dropped open, mandibles lowering in shock for only a heartbeat. Victus pushed her out of the way as he dodge in the opposite direction. She hit the dirt hard and thrust one hand out at the monster. Her biotics might not be as strong as Shepard's, but at she could still deal out some serious damage with them. The shockwave that rippled over the ground before her unbalanced the Brute and it fell forward.

Scrambling to her feet, she saw an opportunity and ran for it. Right up the monster's back she went, her omni-blade sliding free of its sheath. The second she reached its shoulders, she thrust herself into the air with the assistance of another shockwave. It slammed right between the Brute's shoulders, keeping it on the ground. The force of the biotic blast increased the height of her jump. She brought the blade down on the back of its wiry neck with three times the force she would have had otherwise. There was a loud pop and, in the next breath, the Brute's head bounced across the ground. Lilfrey landed just past the monster's shoulders, one hand on the ground to distribute the impact.

“Damn.....” Victus breathed as he looked her up and down approvingly.

Seconds, that was all the reprieve they had. The Marauders were on them in a blink. Lilfrey tucked her gun back into its holster and simply went at the Reaper-spawn hand-to-hand. She did not flinch when Garrus took a few of them out around her. Instead, she simply continued her dance with death.

“Keep them the hell off my ass! There are wounded up ahead!” Victus yelled as he bolted on ahead.

“I'll stay with him. You head for the outpost. Bring help.” Lilfrey called to Garrus as she turned to run after the general.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably my favorite OC chapter so far. It's been waiting a couple of days to be worked into just the right place in the plotline.
> 
> Keep in mind, Garrus mentioned in ME2 that he and the recon scout [Lilfrey in my fic] were the top hand-to-hand experts on their ship. In that case, Garrus has got some serious skills I need to explore...lol.


	39. Leaving Sol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard knows Kaidan may die and she's trying not to kick herself too hard over the days events.

James hauled the robot into the med bay and virtually slammed it down on one of the exam beds. Shepard and Liara were more gentle with Kaidan. He was alive, but unconscious. The Normandy did not currently have a doctor to treat him.

Liara leaned forward over him to get her attention. “Kaidan needs medical attention. We have to leave the Sol system.”

“I know.” Shepard said simply. She knew he was a good soldier, better than some she known. He was an ass, but he did not deserve to die like this.

“The Citadel is our best chance. We can find help there.” Liara continued.

Shepard looked up at her then and nodded. She was trying hard not to kick herself for some of the things she had said to him earlier. “Get us to the Citadel, Joker.”

“Roger that.” Joker replied.

Looking toward the robotic body James had tossed on the exam bed across the way, Shepard nodded toward it. “See what you and EDI can do with that thing. It's still got the data we need.”

“Commander, I am receiving a signal over the secondary QEC. I believe it is Admiral Hackett.” EDI cut in.

“Patch me through.” Shepard said as she took off running. She knew where EDI would send it.

“I'll forward it to the comm room.” EDI confirmed what she suspected.

Shepard hit the mess hall and ran around the bend toward the elevator. She stopped for a moment to regard the new addition to the corridor. There was a wall of names with the Alliance logo stamped into it. A memorial wall. It's presence gave her a chill as she moved on and stepped into the elevator.

As soon as she hit the command deck, she was off again. The Alliance refit was confusing. Mordin's lab was gone. In it's place was a scanner and a hallway leading past the war room and on through the command hub into the new comm room.

“Shepard, are you reading me? Commander?” Hackett's voice sizzled through the connection as she entered the room. The image was choppy and filled with static.

“EDI, can you clean this up?” Shepard asked as she stopped before the holographic image.

“I'll so my best.” the ship's AI said.

Shepard touched a couple of controls on her end as the image cleared. She looked up at Hackett. He looked exhausted. His uniform slightly rumpled.

“Did you get to the Archives?” he asked.

“I was there. So was the Illusive Man.” she answered sounding just as irritated as she felt.

Hackett crossed his arms and put his left hand up to his mouth thoughtfully. “I was worried Cerberus might try something. Did you get the data?”

“Most of it. He downloaded some before I could stop him. EDI and Liara are analyzing what we recovered.

“What have you learned? Was it worth the effort?” Hackett asked as Liara stepped up beside Shepard.

“It's a blueprint for a Prothean device.” Liara spoke up.

“Device? What kind of device are we talking about here?” Hackett wanted more information and Shepard did not blame him.

Liara pulled up her omni-tool and tapped a few keys. After a few seconds the designs were displayed via the primary QEC and fed to Hackett. “A massive weapon, capable of unquantifiable levels of destruction.”

Hackett dropped his arms to his sides and stared at the designs in open curiosity. A second later, he stood at parade-rest .“Send me the designs. We'll look them over, run some calculations. If Liara is right, this could be the key to stopping the Reapers.”

“I hope so.” Shepard said leaning on the railing. “Major Alenko was critically injured. We're taking him to the Citadel.”

“This is just the beginning, Shepard. Hopefully the major doesn't become another casualty.” Hackett paused for a few seconds. “Talk to the Council. Show them what you've found. With any luck, they'll give us the support we need.”

“And if they don't?” her voice was hard when she asked that question. She knew from experience just how stubborn the Council could be.

“Do whatever it takes to bring them aboard.” Hackett waved a hand around in emphasis. “I'll be in touch soon. Hackett out.”

“Commander.” Liara had started to head back into the command hub, but turn to look at her instead. “By the time we reach the Citadel, we'll have the extracted data. There will be plenty of details to present to the Council.”

“And Major Alenko?” Shepard asked. She could not shake it, the feeling that their last conversation might truly be their last.

“I've done what I can for him. He's stable....for now.” Liara answered. “The admiral's right. It's going to get worse, isn't it?”

“Yeah...” Shepard had stopped next to her and was looking straight into the command hub. Her voice sounded resigned to the horrors of war already. “Unless we stop the Reapers.”

“I've looked at the data. This weapon could be the answer....if we can build it.” Liara followed her as she went down the five steps into the command hub. I get the sense you don't quite believe it, though.”

Shepard looked across the room as if in a daze. She was still trying to absorb all that had happened in the last hours. They were here. The Reapers had finally reached inhabited space and they were destroying everything in their path.

Finally, she could not keep it bottled any longer. She glanced at Liara, all the pain she had held in shining in her eyes. The mask was slipping, she knew it was. _I wish Garrus was here, but......god, he might be dead if Palaven was hit as hard as Earth._

“You didn't see what they did to Earth. How is _one_ weapon supposed to stop them?” admitting any kind of weakness was like pulling nails through her eyes.

“What options do we have?” Liara asked her.

Shepard looked away again and rubbed a hand over her eyes. She was tired, worn out by this war already and it had not even really gotten started. She did not notice the asari stepping closer.

“Commander?” as Shepard glanced back at her, she asked, “Isn't it worth trying, at least?”

“I'm going to check on Kaidan and James.” Shepard stepped away from her, heading back toward the CIC. “Make sure we've got something to present to the Council.”

“The Council will listen,....they have to.” Liara stated, but her voice did not sound as confident as Shepard might have hoped it would.

“It'll be a hell of a short war if they don't.” Shepard growled and headed out of the room.


	40. Chasing the Bullet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus is forced to show some of those hand-to-hand combat skills as he is pinned down by hostiles.

Garrus had tucked himself into a downed airship. There was no sign of the crew or pilot so he assumed they had escaped. He knew, however, there was always the chance the Cannibals had dragged them off and eaten them. That was a thought he definitely did not want to entertain. Checking his thermal clips, he peeked out one of many small holes in the hull. Marauders, about half a dozen of them, still swarmed the area searching for him. He was not worried about those. The pair of Brutes were the problem. One he could take down easily enough, but not two. He had to admit, two might just be too much for him to handle alone. One he could snipe, but the other would charge and very likely destroy the location of the noise. He might not escape before it crushed him.

Ducking back into cover, he opened his omni-tool. The intention was to call for back-up. Lilfrey and Victus could not have gone too far ahead of him in an hour's time. The sun had barely risen over Menae when Lilfrey had joined them. The deep shadows of early morning might have hindered their progress.

With the constant interference of the Reapers, it was hard to maintain a stable comm link. Line of sight links were generally fine, but long-range was horribly disrupted. He almost wondered if they were not broadcasting a jamming signal of some kind. That idea had prompted him to patch into the dish network to boost the signal of his omni-tool. That boost allowed him to access the extranet to relay messages. He did not remain linked long. Too much risk of being pinpointed by the enemy.

Breath catching on the edge of a keen, Garrus stared at the images that suddenly swamped his omni-tool the second the link was established. Harrowing images of burning destruction. At first he had thought they had come from Palaven until he saw the humans caught in some of those images. That was Earth, he knew it clear to the thulium in his plates. He tried to slow his breathing and ease the whine of his sub-harmonics as the images continued to roll across his holographic display. The Reapers had hit the planet hard and fast. The casualty count was high and climbing every hour.

As the news feed was disrupted, he saw half scrambled images of the Alliance fleet trying, and failing, to repell their attackers. He knew they stood even less of chance of success than Palaven had. The Hierarchy fleet had been decimated. The Alliance was likely to be obliterated.

“ _Spirits....Shepard..._ ” his voice was a low, soft moan of despair as he squeezed his eyes shut. He had no illusions about her odds of survival. They were not good with so many hostiles pummeling her world.

Glancing out that hole again, he tracked the location of each hostile with his visor. It zeroed in on each of the hostiles, painting red targeting circles on them as they moved. Information scrolled along the side of each target; weak points, best kill range, structural composition of the metal replacing some of their plates. He saw it all as his vision panned across each of them.

“This is gonna hurt, but....” he grumbled to himself as he palmed three heat syncs. A plan was forming quickly. “I'll be _damned_ if these Reaper bastards take _everything_.”

After about a half dozen heartbeats, his mind was made up. He tossed the heat syncs down near his knee and pointed the muzzle of his rifle through the hole he had been tracking the targets from. Inhale, hold, aim, fire, exhale..... He took the first Brute straight through its unprotected left eye, where the plates were still organic. It went down with a snort and a heavy thump. The dust had barely settling before its buddy turned and positioned itself to ram the airship.

“Oh crap.....time to move!” Garrus grumbled at himself. He thought he would have a few more seconds before it zeroed in on his location.

Grabbing up those heat syncs, he climbed up toward the hatch. The airship was on its side. It was not an ideal location, but it was all he had been able to find in his haste to get to cover. Now it would become the ideal position to toss a few biotic charged 'grenades' at the remaining Brute.

The second he was out of the hatch, he stood on top of the airship and lobbed the charged heat syncs at the Brute. It was already heading for the airship at full tilt. The heat syncs bounced over its back and exploded, rocking the airship and the ground around it.

Garrus staggered from both the explosive tremor and the drain of using his biotics in such a way created. He nearly fell backwards off the wreck before turning and dropping the ten feet to the ground. It was a harder landing than it should have been. He staggered into a roll and came up with his combat knife and pistol ready. It was about to get ugly.

Taking a queue from Lilfrey's earlier performance, he dove into the fray. With the Brutes down, the Marauders became more aggressive with their attacks. His were worse. Where theirs were driven by the Reapers and their imperative to destroy everything they touched, his were driven by grief and rage. Until it was proven otherwise, he had to believe that Shepard might already be dead. Pessimism was simply his nature. This war was rapidly driving any sense of hope from his heart as he fought.

His pistol found a point-blank target through one Marauder's eye while his blade took another in the throat. He ripped the blade out the other side viciously with a grunt. It kept coming and he drove the blade through the plates of its forehead and kicked its legs out from under it.

Two more went down with the last two rounds from his pistol. That left a pair to deal with. One had taken cover and was firing at him. The other rushed forward attempting to take him off his feet using its rifle as a battering ram. On his next move, he took a queue from Shepard and grabbed the rim of its cowl or what was left of it. He used its momentum to overbalance it. Dropping to his back, he carried it with him, planted a foot in its gut and heaved it over himself. It was unexpectedly impaled on a thin spire of rock.

 _One left._.. Panting, he rolled to his feet and made a run for the last one. Stepping up onto a rock barely a foot from its location, he launched himself over the low wall of hard-packed dirt it hid behind. As he came down over it, he gripped his combat knife in both hands above his head. He brought it down with a grunt, using his weight to slam it through the top of the Marauder's head. The blade snapped off as he landed and rolled away from Reaper-spawn.

Getting to his feet, he leaned down with his hands on his knees for a minute. Growling as he walked away from the massacre, he tossed the handle of the combat knife at the Marauder's corpse. “......I'm getting too old for this...…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just had to explore some of those skills Garrus has got to be hiding. We'll see how much more he shows off as the story progresses.


	41. The Citadel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Normandy reaches the Citadel heavy one injured soldier.

Shepard had taken up her customary position beside Joker's seat on the flight deck. The light from the wards reflected off the mists of the Widow Nebula and increased the mystique of the station from the mass relay. At that distance only the tips of the arms were visible through the cloud-like formation. A crown shrouded in mist, that was how she had thought of it the very first time she had seen it. The sight never got old. Even with the galaxy slowly going to hell at the hands of the Reapers, she still found it inspiring.

Joker had radioed ahead and the moment they docked, a team of medics were waiting just outside the airlock. Four of them, three humans and a turian, they rushed in and headed straight for the med bay. Shepard watched them go, her eyes glued to the turian for a few seconds. The moment she had seen him, her heart had jumped into her throat. She knew he was not Garrus, however. This man was too thin and did not wear armor. There was no visor over his left eye and his clan markings were not the right color or configuration. His face was nearly flawless, as far as turians went. Not a trace of a scar. Even with all that, it still did not prevent her heart from crying out for the turian she missed the most.

It did not take them long to return to the flight deck and head for the airlock. Two of the humans carried the hand stretcher with Kaidan's still form on it. They called stats back and forth while the other human ran along one side, checking vitals. The turian was on the other with a data pad presumably pulling up their patient's medical history.

Shepard, James and Liara followed them into the docking ring. She stopped short of the decontamination zone. Before they got too far ahead of her, she asked. “Where are you taking him?”

“Huerta Memorial, best care on the Citadel.” the turian called over his shoulder.

“We're not going with?” James asked sounding a bit confused.

“We need to see the Council.” Liara reminded him gently.

“Right.” James stated. It was clear, in all the hustle and bustle to get Kaidan treated, he had forgotten that seemingly small detail.

Shepard walked over to the railing and gripped the cold metal as she stared blankly out at the ships coming and going between the wards. Her anger at Kaidan had cooled considerably given the circumstances. If he pulled through, she meant to have a calm talk with him about his loyalties and place on her crew. _When he pulls through_ , she told herself sharply. She refused to have that kind of guilt on her shoulders. It was bad enough that she carried the blood of three hundred thousand batarians on her hands. The guilt his of death might well break her and she knew it.

After a few minutes, James spoke up again. “Looks like they might be comin' to see you.”

The footfalls were getting closer, heavy, military, that was how they sounded. They stopped just a few feet behind her. That voice she would know anywhere when he spoke. “Commander Shepard. Got word you were arriving.”

Shepard turned and smiled despite herself when she saw him. She took a few brisk steps toward him and shook his hand firmly. “Captain Bailey. Good to see you again.”

“Eh...You too – though it's 'Commander' now.”

“Con—gratulations?” she asked, unsure of how he felt about the change in rank. She knew it was not a promotion, but there was the chance he had busted down on purpose.

“Yeah, thanks. Now half my job is dealing with political bullshit and escorting dignitaries around. No offense.” he said as he shifted from foot to foot in an obvious display of discomfort.

Shepard waved the comment off and tilted her head to the side slightly. “So you're taking us to the Council?”

Bailey turned and motioned her to walk with him. She heard him take in a breath for a lengthy explanation that never really came. Instead, he gave her what was clearly the abridged version. “I'm here to tell ya the Council is expecting you, but.....the war is everywhere and they've got their own problems. They apologize for the inconvenience and blah, blah, blah. Meet them here, at Udina's office. They'll be ready soon enough.” Bailey half turned to look at her as he stopped and opened him omni-tool. A second later hers pinged with a message. He had sent her the location of the office.

Stopping just outside the decon-zone, Shepard nodded. “Alright.”

“You..uh..might have time to stop by the medical center, check on your crewman...” he suggested.

“I'll do that. The major and I have some....unfinished business to discuss when he's finished napping.” Shepard said, a note of sarcasm in her voice.

“I'll head to Udina's office and try to reach the Council.” Liara cut in softly.

“One of my men can show you the way.” Bailey nodded to the asari. Then his attention turned toward James. “What about you?”

“I'm just a tourist today. I'll try an stay out of trouble.” the meat mountain said as he turned back toward the docking bay.

Before they could go any further, Bailey touched the comm implanted next to his ear. After a moment, he said. “I'll be right there.” before turning to go, he nodded to her and in an almost bored tone, he said. “The other half of my job. I'll she ya around, Shepard.”

Shepard watched him walk off. She was left to her own devices. Just before he was out of ear-shot, she commented. “No doubt.”

The news feed drew her down a few steps into a waiting area. She noticed the turian there staring at her curiously. His nose plates bunched for a second as if he caught a scent and he looked away uncomfortably. _That's weird._ It was a passing thought as she headed back up toward the decon-zone. A Keeper crossed in front of her before she could continue. She could have sworn its eyes were locked on her for a split second as it passed. They never seemed to notice anything but whatever they were working on. On the very rare occasion, if their work was disrupted for too long, they simply melted down where they stood. It was a horrible self-destruct mechanism. Fortunately, she had only seen it once.

Finally she went through the decon-zone and headed for the elevator. It was just a bit unnerving to have the VI within speak to her. More so when it called her by name and requested her desired destination. She preferred to push the buttons herself. Ignoring the VI, she reached out and pushed the button that would take her to the medical center. It was a short ride, seconds only.

The hospital lobby was not huge, but it was big enough to handle a few people easily. As she stepped off the elevator, she spotted a head full of white hair and a distinctive profile she would recognize anywhere near the doors into the patient wing.

Smiling faintly, she made her way quickly to the woman. When she drew in closer, the woman before the doctor spotted her and motioned toward her. The older woman turned and smiled.

“Shepard. There you are.”

“Dr. Chakwas. You're here?” there was still a note faint of surprise in her voice.

“I'm working in a lab in the Shalta Wards. Alliance research, maintaining close contact with Admiral Hackett.” she informed Shepard. There was a slight frown on her face as if it was not the kind of work she would rather be doing. She crossed her arms and continued. “I heard you escaped Earth with the Normandy and someone was critically injured along the way. I came up here as fast as I could.”

“Cerberus hit us on Mars. Kaidan took the worst of it.” Shepard shifted her balance slightly. It was more in irritation than discomfort.

“The major is doing very well, all things considered. Dr. Michel's expertise is impressive, but I think his resilience has more to do with it. I wish I could have been there on Mars to help....”

Shepard relaxed somewhat at the other woman's words. It had become obvious that Alenko was going to be fine. He might be a little banged up, but he was going to live. That meant his death would not be on her head. _At least not this time_. The thought came out of nowhere and she viciously stamped it down.

“So... It's been six months, Doctor. How have you been?” Shepard was not exactly sure how to ask how the woman had avoided being discharged. She motioned her toward the wall of windows as she stepped toward them herself.

“Good. I've been fortunate. When they impounded Normandy, the Alliance didn't really know what to do with me. I was never officially part of Cerberus, and I'd gotten a proper leave of absence from my previous post.” Chakwas elaborated.

“So you hadn't technically done anything wrong when you boarded the Normandy and joined me.” Shepard said it more to clear her own thinking on the matter.

“True, but if you had been tried as a war criminal, I suppose I might have been tried as an accessory.” Chakwas agreed and continued.

Frowning slightly, Shepard looked around the lobby for a moment before turning her attention back to the older woman. “The Normandy's med bay is too quiet, too empty. We're going to need a good doctor aboard if we're going to beat the Reapers.”

“Just say the word, Commander, and I'm with you.” the doctor's voice sounded as if she wanted to jump for joy at the idea.

“Grab your gear, Doc. The Normandy's not the same without you. We're docked in D24.” Shepard smiled and shook the woman's hand briefly.

“Yes, Commander. And thank you.” the doctor sounded incredibly relieved.

“Don't thank me so soon. Joker's still aboard.” Shepard shifted and leaned back just a fraction trying not to smile at the reaction she knew was coming.

Chakwas rolled her eyes, “Has he been taking his medication?”

At that, Shepard did smile and shrugged.

“What am I going to do with that young man?” the doctor sighed, shaking her head and excused herself.

“Commander Shepard, it's been a long time.” Doctor Michel said from the other side of the room as she moved away from the wall of windows.

“Doctor Michel, you're working here now?”

“Yes. Head physician. You gave me this chance. If you and Garrus had not stopped Fist and his thugs....” the woman stopped, she must have seen the expression change on Shepard's face. “How is Garrus?”

Shepard knew the look in her eyes, on her face must have said it all. The woman's mouth opened, but she said nothing. It took the commander a couple of minutes to reply. When she finally did, she had glanced down toward the floor. “I....left him.....on Palaven before the Alliance arrested me.”

The woman's hand was warm and firm on her shoulder in the next instant. Shepard looked up at her, the 'commander' mask snapping back into place. “He's alive, Commander. I'd stake my life on it. You _will_ see him again, and when you do, tell him I have an entire crate of turian chocolate waiting for him. It's the least I can do for him.....for all the good he did in clearing the thugs away from the clinic.”

Shepard swallowed hard and nodded. The lump in her throat took another few seconds to finally clear before she could speak. “How's Major Alenko?”

“Tough. His vitals are strong, but the head trauma was severe. We brought the swelling down quickly, but this kind of injury can go either way. I'm certain he will regain consciousness, it's only a matter of time.” she answered and as an obvious after thought she added, “You can go see him if you like.”

Tilting her head slightly at the doctor, Shepard was about to excuse herself. After a second thought, she stated, “I'll tell Garrus about that chocolate when I see him.”

“He _is_ alive....” Doctor Michel said again as she turned to the intern who had stepped up to her.

It took Shepard a good five minutes to find Kaidan's room in all the chaos behind those doors. When she stepped in, she noticed two things. He was still out of it and his gown was missing. Wired for sound, that the reason. There were EKG wires stuck all over his chest. His hair had been parted in several places and more wires were glued to his scalp.

Stepping closer, she put her hands on the railing of his bed. “Hey, Kaidan. I don't know if you can hear me, but...since you can't tell me to get the hell out... You're a jerk, but you're an honest one. Don't die, that's an order. I don't want _your_ blood on my hands too.”

Kaidan did not respond. None of the readings on the monitors even so much as twitched. She was not a doctor, but she was pretty sure he had not heard her, at least not on a conscious level. No one knew what someone in his state might actually be aware of though.

Turning to leave, she caught the doctor on his way in and told him to ask if he needed anything. She would see he got whatever was needed. After all, Kaidan was still one of the Normandy's crew no matter how much they butted heads.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No matter how nasty Kaidan is from Horizon on out, Shepard still seems to find a way to be nice to him....even in this fic. I'm not a Kaidan hater, per say. I just don't like his attitude.


	42. Conspiracies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Al-Jilani is stressing Bailey out with her antihuman conspiracy theory.

Bailey sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried once more to explain the Council's standing to the reporter. “There's no antihuman conspiracy here, Ms. Al-Jilani. The Council's simply not granting interviews at this time.”

“My viewers know that C-Sec and the Council are denying them access to the truth. We have a right to answers about what's really going on.” Al-Jilani argued.

“Listen, lady, you think I like playing gatekeeper between the paparazzi and the politicians? I don't have time to babysit them and I'm not holding your hand either.” Bailey growled at her as he noticed Shepard stepping into the office.

“Well, I'm camping out until I'm granted and audience.” Al-Jilani said defiantly, crossing her arms.

“Hope you brought a sleeping bag. You're gonna be here awhile.” Bailey snarked as he folded his hands in front of him on the desk. _This might just be fun._ The thought flashed through his mind the second the door closed behind Shepard. He knew the commander did not like this particular reported.

The woman shook her head and stormed out the door. Before it had a chance to close, she turned and pointed at Shepard. “Commander Shepard? Commander, humanity has questions!”

“Damn press... I hate every one of those soul-sucking reporters.” Bailey grumbled.

“See you're keeping the peace.” Shepard said as she crossed the room to his desk.

“Yeah... I feel like a glorified doorman or maybe a doormat. Tell me, do you see boot prints on my forehead yet?” Bailey sighed and rubbed a hand across his brow.

The shock was that Shepard actually chuckled. He looked up at her with just a touch of interest at that. She never showed much emotion that he remembered. _Maybe she's human after all_.

“No. No boot prints. At least not yet.” Shepard made a show of looking too, which shocked him even further. “Most people would consider this a step up though.”

“I think I'd rather be back down on the streets than wedged in here with all the stuffed shirts.” Bailey said, the honestly clear on his face as he looked her in the eyes. “Don't get me wrong, I like the higher pay grade, but I am _not_ a political creature.”

“If you didn't wanna be up here, why'd you accept it?” Shepard asked simply.

“You don't say no to Councilor Udina.” Bailey shook his head with a sarcastic chuckle. Then he corrected himself as he locked eyes with her. “Well, maybe _you_ would, but _I_ gotta _live_ here. I wasn't pushin' for a promotion like some officers were. Hell, I'm not even sure why he picked me. I hate political b.s.”

“Don't lose your edge. You might need it.” Shepard said sharply after a minute.

 _She must have a feeling or something. Gut instinct maybe. This is Commander Shepard, after all. Guess I should take the suggestion to heart_. Rubbing his hands on the desk in front of him, he said. “I wouldn't mind an excuse to get my fingers dirty. Huh...it's killin' me about Earth.”

“You and me both.” Shepard said honestly and crossed her arms.

“I haven't been back in years. Now...I may never get the chance.” he shifted around in his chair. Damned uncomfortable, that chair was. “If this ain't the end of days, it's pretty damn close.”

“Don't let it beat you down. We're not done yet, not while there's even one person left able to fight the Reapers.” Shepard leaned forward, hands on the edge of his desk.

“You think we can win this?” he asked simply.

“Believe it. I won't stop, whatever it takes.”

“And if it means your life?” he had to ask. He knew there were rumors that she had already died once.

“If that's what it takes.” she raised up and glanced toward the door. “The Council's waiting for me. I should go.”

“Yeah..... Hey, watch that report; Al-Jilani. She's convinced there's some damn conspiracy, antihuman bullshit. Better if you avoid her for awhile.” Bailey called to her just before she stepped out of his office. She nodded and left.

 _Damn reporters twist everything around....._ he grumbled to himself.


	43. The Council

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard and Liara confront the Council with the plans for the Prothean device.

The moment the door opened on Udina's office, the asari scanning a data pad glanced up. “Commander. Councilor Udina said you'd be coming. If you'll follow me, the Council is already in session.”

Shepard nodded and followed the blue woman back out of the room. The commander knew they were headed for the elevator and ultimately the Presidium. As a general rule, the Council held their official sessions in the council chamber. With them already being in session, Liara must have reached themselves.

The moment the elevator opened on the upper most level of the Presidium, she heard the distinctive dual-toned voice of the turian councilor. He was attempting to explain the devastation on Palaven, likely to Udina.

“We've got our own problems, Councilor. Earth is not in this alone.” Sparatus said morosely.

“But Earth was the first Council world hit.” Udina growled and glared at the turian councilor. “By all reports, it faces the brunt of the attack.”

“That's....not...entirely true. Palaven suffered an attack mere hours before Earth. It was kept quiet... We're a proud people, Councilor Udina. To admit that a single Reaper could wipe out a third of our fleet..... You understand, of course.” Sparatus admitted grudgingly.

“By your reports....” Valern waved a hand at Udina in obvious dismissal of the human's comment.

“Earth was attacked – by the Reapers. That much is accurate, but I saw the news leaked on the extranet. Palaven was hit just as hard.” Shepard could not keep quiet on this one. She might not always see eye to eye with the Council, but this was bigger than a few arrogant representatives. “This is just the beginning. We're not going to win this alone.”

“We face similar situations. Even now, the Reapers are pressing on Thessia's borders.” Councilor Tevos said, a worried tone carrying over in her voice. “If we lend you our strength, our own worlds will fall.”

“We must fight this enemy together.” Udina snarled at the others.

“And so we should just follow you to Earth?” Valern snapped peevishly.

Sparatus held up a hand to stop the argument that was about to break out. It was clear the turian had had enough. He looked down at Shepard, addressing her directly. “Even if we were to unite our fleets, do you really believe we could defeat the Reapers?”

“I'm not expecting you to follow me without a plan.” Shepard shifted her balance and, glancing at Liara, she nodded for her to elaborate.

“Councilors, we have that plan, a blueprint. Created by the Protheans during their war with the Reapers.” Liara stepped forward and addressed the Council.

Sparatus raised his brow-plates curiously. “A blueprint for what?”

“A weapon...” Liara said simply and opened her omni-tool to display a holographic image of the plans.

“Capable of destroying the Reapers?” Valern dropped his hand from his mouth as he stared at the blueprint.

“So it would seem.” Liara nodded.

“The scales.... It would be a colossal undertaking.” Valern said skeptically.

“The remnants of the human fleet are already gathering resources under Admiral Hackett's command.” Shepard was firm in her statement. She needed them to understand this was not an impossible task.

“It is feasible to build this device.” Liara stated with a nod.

“ _If_ we work together...” Shepard drove the point home.

“The Reapers destroyed the Protheans..... What good did this weapon do them?” Tevos, ever the skeptic, asked.

“It was incomplete, a missing component only referred to as 'the Catalyst'.” Liara zoomed in on the plans and pinpointed the place in the plans. “They ran out of time and never finished the device.”

Sparatus shifted his weight from foot to foot, hands gripping the rail before him as he looked down at the plans. His head turned slightly and he locked brilliant green eyes with Shepard. “Do you really _believe_ this thing can stop the Reapers?”

“Liara believes it can work, and so do I.” Shepard confirmed and flicked her eyes toward Udina for a second. “I haven't always agreed with Udina, but in this, he's right.... We need to stand together. Now more than ever. The Reapers aren't going to stop at Earth or Palaven or even Thessia.... They'll destroy every organic being in the galaxy. We have to stop them....together.”

Shepard narrowed her eyes on Valern when she saw him shake his head slightly. Her attention was drawn back to their designated speaker; Tevos. “The cruel and unfortunate truth is that while the Reapers focus on the farthest reaches of the galaxy, the rest of us can prepare and regroup.”

“We are convening a summit amongst our species. If we can manage to secure our own borders, we may once again, consider aiding you.” Valern sounded satisfied with their decision.

Sparatus was glaring at him, barely containing the obvious anger that simmered just beneath the surface. Udina simply passed his hand over his brow and across his eyes in frustration. Both of them shifted uncomfortably.

“I'm sorry, Commander. That is the best we can do.” Tevos said before she and Valern turned to leave.

Sparatus remained, hands pinned behind his back, for several long seconds before he too retreated. The look on his face told her he had something more he wanted to say. She doubted he realized how well she could read his face.

“Shepard. Meet me in my office.” Udina said quietly before he turned and exited the room.

“I hope that's an offer of support. I'll see what more I can find about the device.” Liara said softly.


	44. Ploys, Plots and Maneuvering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Udina rants silently to himself all the way to his office. Shepard receives a disguised offer of assistance from an unexpected source.

_How dare he! How dare that wrinkly, arrogant little toad turn his back on humanity! And that self-righteous asari bitch... Who does she think she is? At least the skull-faced dinosaur kept his mouth shut. Maybe he should have said something. His world is burn the same as Earth. He should have spoken up, the coward_. Udina was fuming when he stepped into his office, the rant continuing silently for several more seconds as he crossed the room

“They're a bunch of self-concerned jackasses, Shepard.” The second he saw her, he let loose with some of that anger. He rushed toward the wall of glass and stopped, hands spreading. “We may have a spot on the Council, but humanity will always be considered second-rate.”

“How can they be so blind?” Shepard asked sounding genuinely confused by the Council's decision.

 _Truth is truth._ He looked Shepard's face over thoughtfully. _How can you not see it, girl? You've defended some of those aliens in the past. Sometimes with your life. Saved the Council's asses from Sovereign's attack. Was it worth it? That skull-face that was on your ship, I hear you risked your life for him more than once. Are you....sleeping with that....thing? I hope not. I'd hate to think the galaxy might rest in the hands of an alien-fucker._

Staring out the window a few seconds longer, Udina finally forced himself to glance back at her again. A sour look had pinned itself to his lined face. Bitter, that was how life had been since the aliens showed up. Since the First Contact War, if he really counting when it had gotten bad. There would be no apology for his opinion or how he felt about the aliens. He was representing Earth, in many ways, against those very aliens. Or in spite of them.

_Better than that self-righteous prick, Anderson. He let them walk all over him. If he still held this position, he'd let them bulldoze him into the foundation of the Citadel. Couldn't handle it, that's why he left it to me and bolted back to Earth. I'll get something done if it kills me._

“They're scared. And they're looking out for themselves.” Udina finally grumbled.

*

“Our people _are_ scared and we're looking out for them the best way we know how. It's more than that for Palaven.” the turian councilor said as he entered the room. He stopped before Shepard, a determined look pinning his mandibles to his jaw. “Because of that, I can't give you what you need, Commander, but.....I can tell you how to get it.”

“I'm listening.” Shepard said, her eyes locked to his. She noticed his clan markings were the same as those Nihlus had worn. _From the same colony then, maybe even the same clan_ , she realized.

Sparatus stepped away from her and began to pace. “Primarch Fedorian called the war summit but.... we lost contact with him when the Reapers hit Palaven. Those meetings won't proceed without him.”

Shepard watched him as he came to a stop once more. He faced her, head down, eyes watching her from under his brow-plates. The man stood with his hands clasped behind his back as if he were about to face a firing squad. He continued speaking after a few seconds. “The Normandy is one of the few ships that can extract Primarch Fedorian undetected.”

Stepping in closer, she tilted her head to the side and locked eyes with him. “So far you've only explained how _I_ can help _you_.”

“It might seem that way, but the leaders of this summit are the ones deciding our future. The fate of our fleets, where they fight, and with whom is in their hands.” his mandibles flared briefly in a flicker of a smile. “A grateful Primarch....would be a tremendous ally in your bid to unite us.”

“We're at war and you want me......to play politician?” Shepard asked incredulously.

Tilting his head slightly, he returned her stare. “If it gets you what you need, what does it matter?”

Shepard sighed in frustration as the man turned from her toward the bank of monitors on the far wall. At the touch of his hand, the largest of those monitors brought up an image of his homeworld. Another touch and it zoomed in on one of the moons. “Our latest intel says the Primarch was moved to a base on Menae, Palaven's largest moon. Giving you this information is all I can do to help. The rest is up to you.”

Udina stepped up beside her to look thoughtfully at the image as the turian councilor walked away. A heartbeat later, Sparatus turned back, opening his omni-tool. “There is one other thing.... The Council wanted me to tell you.... we've chosen to uphold your Spectre status. And various resources will be made available to you. Good day.”

Shepard acknowledged the update that came through her own omni-tool. To Udina, she said. “That went better than expected.”

“It's a start, but he's still a pompous ass.” Udina said as he walked in behind his desk and took a seat. “I'll talk to the others. See if we can support this summit. At least try to move things along in the right direction.”

“Thanks.” Shepard said and meant it. She did not like the man, but at least he was not just going to stonewall her like the Council had.

Shaking his head, he looked back up at her with a sour look on his face. “You saved the Council's lives... and for what? Apologies that boil down to 'maybe later'.”

She watched him stand and walk restlessly back to the center of the window at the end of the room. He continued after a moment, pressing his fingers into his forehead. “If we don't figure out something.... 'maybe later' will be an epitaph on the mass grave of eleven billion.”

“I know what I have to do.... What about you, Udina?” Shepard asked, arms cross with a slight frown on her face.

“Humanity has created some goodwill in the galaxy. Now we cash in our chips. I'll get whatever funding and materials I can and spread the word; help humanity and you help yourselves. I'll draft all armed civilian ships to help work on the Prothean device. Materials will be brought in around the clock.”

“Any word from Earth?” Shepard knew she had to ask. This was likely the last chance for information she would get before leaving for Palaven.

“Most of our comm buoys are gone. We're still being bombarded with information though.....most of it bad. The Reapers are destroying everything in their path....old nuclear sites, satellites...everything.” Udina shook his head and looked down at his terminal. There was a note of sadness in his voice when he spoke again. “I knew the Alliance Parliament, most of them on a first name basis... acquired a second VI just keep track of their birthdays... Guess none of that matters now.”

 _So it's as bad as I feared._.. “I should probably go. The sooner the Normandy reaches Palaven, the sooner we may have the backing of the Hierarchy.”

“I'll do what I can on my end.... Good luck, Commander.” Udina stated.

Shepard did not make it to the elevator before the reporter headed her off. “Commander Shepard! Is it true you were on Earth when the Reapers attacked? How do you _justify running away_ while _millions_ of people on Earth _die_? Is that the _best_ we can expect from the _Alliance_?”

 _Oh, god....I hate this woman.._.. Shepard pinched the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes shut in the glare of the light from the camera drone. “I _didn't_ just _run away_. I came to get help....for everyone.”

“What about all the people suffering while you play politics with the Council, Commander? How can you stand here while our families die?” Al-Jilani kept at it like an annoying mosquito, her voice growing more shrill with each word.

Finally she realized the woman was quite literally on the edge of hysterics. She had a couple of options: slap her, which would probably just make things worse; or console her. Shepard chose the latter as she gripped the woman's shoulder firmly. “Khalisah, we're doing _everything_ we can.”

“Before they cut the feeds....there were so many dead.” there were tears shining in the reporter's eyes.

Shepard nodded and stepped back, standing that much straighter for the camera she knew was still rolling. “I'm gonna stop the Reapers or _die_ trying, but I need your help. Keep askin' the hard questions. Don't let the Council forget about Earth. Don't let them forget any world that falls victim to this war...”  
“I will. Thank you, Commander.” the woman started to walk away and turned back for a moment. “We haven't always seen eye to eye... but I'm glad you're on our side.”

On the way back to the elevator she spotted James staring out a window. He looked lost in thought, subdued. She decided to let him be. If he needed to talk, he knew where to find her. After all, it would be the better part of a day before they reached Palaven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I thought crawling into Kaidan's head was bad. Wow...Udina is a real piece of work.
> 
> The term 'skull-face', in regards to turians, is taken from the comics and is [unfortunately] cannon among the turian-haters who fought in the First Contact War.


	45. Marauders, Husks and Brutes. Oh My.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lilfrey has lost track of Victus during their trek to the command outpost.

Lilfrey had trailed Victus for hours before she lost him. The wounded they had raced forward to help were mercilessly killed by a Reaper beam that almost took them out as well. They had been forced to run for their lives as the men's ammo and weapons exploded.

When they were headed off by another pocket of hostiles, Victus went one way, while she went the other. The plan was to meet up on the other side of them. He was not there when she made her way around to the other side of the small valley. His trail ended in a patch of dirt that appeared to have been churned up in a struggle.

No body told her he might still be alive. _Or the Cannibals ate him,_ she reminded herself brutally. Even still, there would have been signs of that. There would have been something, blood, plates, bone, but the dirt was clear of any trace of that. He was alive, but she had no way of knowing exactly where he had gone or which direction. She had to assume he was still heading for the command outpost.

Checking her heat syncs, she realized she only had one left. It was going to be tight if she ran into anymore Reaper-spawn. Glancing up at the sky gave her a time frame to work with. The sun was already at its highest point. She needed to keep moving if she wanted to reach the outpost before dark. Fighting Reaper-spawn blindly in the dark would get her killed.

Stepping into a lite jog, she followed a wide patch of packed dirt, smooth and worn from decades of use. A path between outposts, that must be what she had found. If she stuck to that, she was likely to reach the outpost relatively soon. That was, provided she did not run into more hostiles.

Pulling her hood up, she tried to protect her head from the heat of the sun as she ran. The radiation was higher on Menae. Dehydration, heatstroke and death were very real possibilities. She would consider it insulting to die like that when there were enemies all around to be taken down.

A couple of hours later, the sound alerted her first as she climbed up a steep slope. Husks... What the Reapers did to the humans was horrible. The Marauders were worse for her, however. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw them. That was going to stick with her for a good many years to come, she realized. After seeing those things up close, smelling them, having their fetid breath in her face, she was going to suffer some serious nightmares.

Crawling up the last few feet of the incline, she peered over it into a small ravine. Her heart sank at their numbers. Many more than she had ammo to handle. She was nearing exhaustion from the earlier fight and flight moments. Her biotics would only drain her further if she used them against so many. Fighting through them was not an option either. She might take down a few, but in the end, they would overpower her.

The only clear option she could see was to work her way around them. It would take her well out of her way and bring her to the outpost hours after the sun had set. That was not the best option, but it was the only one she had.

Her mind made up, Lilfrey set out to go around them. She expected a few stragglers along the way. There were not many. A couple here or there that had managed to wander out of that small ravine. They were nothing she could not handle even in her exhausted state.

When she stumbled into the path of a Brute, she knew she was done for. She did not have the strength to fight another one of those. That stunt she had pulled earlier that morning had pretty well wiped out her biotics for the day. Looking for any escape route she could find, she gasp when a pair of hands grabbed her and dragged her out of the Brute's path.


	46. Shadows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard is plagued by the first of many nightmares regarding the boy. She questions rather or not she left Garrus to die on Palaven as Hackett lays a heavy burden on her shoulders

Shepard flopped across her belly on the bed with a grunt and a sigh. She needed to catch a couple of hours of sleep at least. The last few days had been the stuff of nightmares. So it did not surprise her when she sank into one...

It was dark. A dead forest surrounded her. Leaves like ashes fell from the branches of silent trees. The smell in the air like that of charred wood. In the smokey mist, she saw a small figure running in the distance. She tried to run after it, but her feet felt as if they were caught in a quagmire. The figure stopped, glowing in the distance and she closed in on its position.

As she got closer, she recognized it...the boy from Earth. The one she had watched die when the Reaper destroyed his shuttle. He stood and looked around fearfully, completely unaware of her. That was not a surprise, not really. He was a dream image.

After a few seconds, the Reaper noise, muffled by the smokey mist around them, blared and red light flooded the clearing. The boy ducked, covered his ears and then ran off when the light faded. She ran after him, but he vanished. After a couple of steps, she stopped and searched the woods for the boy. The pull to find him was overwhelming. When she found him, she ran directly toward him through the ashen leaves. He stood as she reached out for him, his eyes locked on her. It was clear he saw her this time.

Shepard dropped her hand in shock, her lips parting as flames crawled up his legs. She gasped, eyes wide as those flames consumed him, his flesh melting away until his charred bones collapsed in a heap. Even those seemed to melt into ash, blown away by the wind that did not touch her.

With a gasp, she sat up in bed and cradled her face in her hands. After a moment, she looked around the room, confirming that it was real. It was different, the models in the case missing, wires running across the floor in a couple places causing a trip hazard. Regardless of the things the Alliance had changed, it was solid and real. Not a dream.

Standing, she stretched tiredly and headed for the door. She could have sworn she heard the call somewhere in that dream. Keying it open, she rolled her neck, noticing the asari about to turn and head back to the elevator.

“Liara, can I help you?” she asked, her voice husky from sleep and a barely suppressed yawn.

“I've been forwarding the turian councilor information on the Prothean device.” she answered awkwardly. "He's not budging until their primarch is safe. We need the support of the Council to build it.”

“I know.” Shepard said as she stepped toward the railing and leaned on it, looking over the drop into piping.

Liara took two steps toward her, “Are you alright?”

Turning as the asari stopped, Shepard locked worried eyes on her. The mask was slipping again, she was having trouble holding it in place, keeping the stress, worry, wear and tear out of the sight of her team. She wrung her hands, not something she never did as she faced the other woman. “I didn't get what you'd call a good night's rest.”

Liara took another step toward her, looking deeper into her eyes. “There's more to it than that, isn't there. What's really bothering you?”

 _Damned asari intuition_. She was beginning to believe what some said about them. They could read minds even without 'embracing eternity' as they called it. “When the Reapers hit... I could hear people screaming in the streets below me. We left a lot of them behind.”

“There's something else, something deeper that's eating at you.” Liara narrowed her eyes at the commander.

Shepard sighed and turned back toward the railing. She gripped it in both hands and leaned on it as if it were a lifeline. “Palaven.... I left him there...”

“You mean Garrus.” it was not a question.

“Yeah.” the word was a gasp of pain she could not hide.

“You're fighting for him, aren't you? A chance to give him some peace?”

Shepard nodded and looked back at the asari. “I never thought I'd find peace in the arms of a turian.”

“And now you worry he may be dead.” Liara said sounding as if she knew exactly what was going through the commander's mind.

Shepard nodded again, closing her eyes. When she opened them again, she knew they were shining with unshed tears. The 'Commander' mask was all but gone in the face of the raw pain that welled up from the very core of her being. “Liara, I may have left him there to die.”

“You're doing everything you can to save as many as possible. Don't blame yourself, Commander, for those already lost to us. If the worst has happened, Garrus wouldn't lay that blame on your shoulders either.”

“Commander Shepard? I'm Specialist....oh.. I...I beg your pardon. I thought you were alone.” the dark haired woman with the caramel skin stammered after stepping off the elevator.

“I was just leaving.” Liara sounded a little more bitter than normal.

“Commander.” the woman saluted a moment later. “I'm Specialist Samantha Trayner, with Alliance R&D. I was part of the team retrofitting the Normandy... There weren't many of us aboard when the Reapers hit....”

Shepard had regained her composure and raised her hands to slow Trayner down. “Slow down, you're doin' fine.”

“Thank you.” Trayner breathed in relief. "I was a lab tech, never thought I'd be serving aboard a ship.”

“Tell me about the retrofits.” Shepard encouraged.

Mistake, the woman went into FTL about everything that had been done to the Normandy while under the care of the Alliance. She even mentioned that Anderson had planned to use the ship as his mobile command center. Trayner seemed nervous about her continuing position on board the Normandy after the refits were complete.

EDI, of course mentioned that Trayner was extremely efficient. Shepard considered it a request to retain Trayner. The woman had apparently had a few suspicions regarding EDI's program. Shepard saw no reason to keep EDI's nature from her now. She made it clear that EDI was a fully self-aware AI and not a very sophisticated VI.

Once the confirmation and apologies for some suggestive comments was made, Traynor gave her the grand virtual tour of the ship's upgrades. Shepard was decidedly distracted. Her mind more than half focused on their current destination.

Before she left, Trayner mentioned that Admiral Hackett wanted to speak with her on the vid-comm. Shepard sighed inwardly. She did not have much to give him as far as updates were concerned. After a moment of just standing there trying to breathe through it all, she made her way to the QEC.

Hackett's image appeared before her the second she entered the room. “Commander, Udina updated me on your meeting with the Council. It sounds like they're running scared.”

“They're feeling threatened. The Reapers are on their doorsteps and they're looking for solutions, not theories.” she let out a breath.

“Theories are all we've got right now.” Hackett stated. He turned his head slightly and looked at her suspiciously. “What's your plan?”

“The turian primarch.... the summit won't convene without him. I'm bypassing the Council. Appealing directly to their leaders.”

“That's good. I like it. We start laying groundwork here and now for our counterattack.” Hackett nodded, a very slight smile touched his weathered face.

“We don't have a lot to back it up right now.” Shepard took a slight step forward.

“Build alliances, Commander, anywhere you can.”

“What about the Prothean device?”

“Find me anything you can, ships, soldiers, supplies.... Find people who can help build it. I don't care where or how you get them....just get them. Most of all, we need time. Time to figure this thing out.” Hackett barked.

“And when it's finished?” Shepard asked skeptically.

Hackett replied with an equal amount of skepticism. “Assuming it ever is. We pool our resources. We're building an armada to deliver this thing, Commander. We need to make it as strong as we can.”

“And Earth?”

“Anderson and what's left of our forces there will just have to hold out awhile longer. Make this happen, Commander. I'll be expecting regular updates on your progress. Hackett out.”

When his image disappeared she took a breath and leaded on the railing surrounding the QEC. It was a tall order and he had just laid the biggest part of it on her shoulders. He might be orchestrating the construction of the Prothean device, but she would be doing every bit of the foot work. _I need my team...all of them....for this. I hope your still breathing, Garrus, because I need you more now than ever_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy cow, this chapter never wanted to end. Summarized Trayner's part here because she's mostly there at that point to push you through game tutorials.


	47. Hard to Kill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus runs across a hooded figure facing down a Brute alone.

Garrus had managed to avoid a good many pockets of Reaper-spawn along the way to the next outpost. A couple of times he thought had found Victus and Lilfrey's trail. The sun was well past its zenith by the time he saw the Brute towering over a hooded figure with its back to him. He knew that figure the moment it moved. _Too flexible for the average turian. That's Lilfrey, has to be, but where's Victus?_

Sneaking up behind her, keeping to the small outcroppings of rocks, he came to a taller boulder that might once have been a meteor. The second the hooded figure was close enough, he reached out and grabbed her. One hand clamping her mandibles to her face and the other around her waist to pull her behind the boulder with him. As she glanced up at him, he release her and held a finger up to his mouth plates for silence.

Stepping carefully past her, he nodded for her to swap positions with him. He eased the muzzle of his sniper rifle around the side of the boulder once he was snugged against the rough surface of the rock again. The Brute had not noticed them. It was still facing the opposite direction. Lining up the shot, he waited for that one perfect space between heartbeats to fire.

The shot was true, but the Brute moved at the last possible instant. The slug pinged off the side of its wiry neck. It stiffened and turned to face their direction. Lowering its center of gravity, it prepared to charge.

“Crap...” Garrus snapped.

“Go! I've got this!” Lilfrey growled at him as she shoved him toward another outcropping.

“No.” Garrus snapped, shaking his head.

“I'm Cabal. You know I can handle this.”

“I outrank you......” Garrus began a growled response.

“Which is why you need to go, _Praetor!_ Now!” she pushed herself off him and ran out into the Brute's line of sight.

“ _Dammit!_ ” Garrus raged and drew his pistol. “I'm _not_ leaving you here to die!”

Lilfrey barely glanced back at him as she threw a shockwave at the Brute. It hardly staggered the monster. Garrus fired a few rounds at it, one striking through its eye. Lilfrey dodged away from it as it staggered and charged her.

“Crap!” Garrus breathed and had bare seconds to throw himself out of its path.

He fired a few more rounds at it until his pistol beeped, overheated. The heat sync was fried. He watched Lilfrey circle around it, pop a couple of rounds at it and run straight at the monster. A second later she had climbed it like a mountain and clung to it as she slammed her omni-blade through its other eye.

When it toppled, she jumped off it. It fell in a cloud of dust and she straightened. Her gaze fell on Garrus, anger radiating from every line of her body. The moment she was within reach of him, she took his hand and jerked him to his feet, glaring at him.

“ _Reckless, stupid, arrogant....child!_ ” she raged at him, turning her back to him for a second before stepping back into his space. “You are a Praetor of Palaven! In line for the seat of the Primarch!”

When she took a breath, he reminded her how far down that line he was. Her rage reminded him of the reason they had been at each others throats so badly on the Kaleema. “I'm one of one hundred...”

“I don't _care_ how far down that line you were before these bastards hit us.” she raged and waved a hand behind her toward the Reaper-spawn lying on the ground. “As far as you know, _you_ might our new Primarch! I will _not_ let you kill yourself before we're sure where Fedorian and Victus are.”

“Victus was with you this morning...”

“And I lost him when we ran into a horde of Reaper-spawn. He's out there somewhere. I didn't find a body.” Lilfrey grumbled. “Come on. If you're hell-bent on fighting these things, you shouldn't do it alone. We're close to the outpost.”

Garrus did not argue, he did not see the point. She had given him way too much to think about. He had not considered how many praetors might have been lost when the Reapers hit. She was right, if Fedorian and Victus were gone, he might well be the next Primarch. The thought was chilling.


	48. Moon Landing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sight of Palaven burning was horrifying as the Normandy pulled past the turian homeworld toward its largest moon.

The second they popped into Palaven's airspace, Joker struggled to maneuver the Normandy around the fighting and debris. There are all manor of turian vessels engaging inbound Reapers. The Reapers advanced and tore through many of the turian craft as if they were made of paper.

Shepard and her team sat waiting in the shuttle as they were dropped close to Menae. The shuttle shook with nearby explosions. The vid screen displayed the destruction being rained on the turian homeworld as they passed it by.

“Oh no....no....Palaven.” Liara gasped from her seat and glanced at Shepard.

Shepard could not look at the screen. Instead, she looked at James who did not seem to understand the despair in the asari's voice. “We've an old friend there.”

“Holy hell... they're getting decimate.” James said as his attention finally turned to the screen.

Shepard looked at it and had to sit before her knees gave out. “Strongest military in the galaxy and the Reapers are obliterating it.”

“Was it like this on Earth?” Liara asked.

Locking eyes with the woman, Shepard nodded, “Yes.”

“Shepard..... I'm so sorry...” was all the asari could say.

“Yeah....”

“Damn, the LZ's getting swarmed.” James breathed as he watched the husks climbing up a shear cliff face.

“Open the hatch. It's time for some payback.” Shepard growled as she took up an assault rifle.

The wind whipped around her as she aimed and fired several rounds. Her aim was not as sure with the assault rifle, but she made it work for her. She thought of Garrus as she took down husk after husk. Alive or dead, she meant to find him. She prayed he was alive, but if not, she meant to see him laid for rest properly. Even if that meant taking down whatever the Reapers might have turned him into. She would expect no less from him or anyone else on her team should the Reapers take her.

The shuttle was not even on the ground yet when she hit the ground running. Shouting back at Liara and James, she glanced over her shoulder once. “Alright. Get in, get out. Let's move.”

Taking down a couple of husks, she spotted a turian soldier holding out in a module. Information, that was what she needed. “Soldier! Which way to your commanding officer?”

“Straight ahead and around the corner – past the first barricade.” he answered.

The noise was horrible. Battle, wind, Reaper weapons firing, it all created a song of death and destruction as they moved along. She could see a pair of Reapers off in the distance obviously destroying outposts. Further on, she could see Palaven looming in the darkening sky. Even from their largest moon, the massive fires could be seen.

“That Reaper is enormous.” Liara commented in disbelief.

“Saw bigger ones on Earth – a whole lot of them.” James shot back softly.

“Goddess...” Liara hissed.

“Hold your fire. Friendly inbound.” a soldier called from the gate as they neared it. An instant later that gate dropped and allowed their passage.

The first thing she notice as she entered the compound and past the first shelter were the bodies. There were a number of them, most covered with secured tarps. The smell of gunpowder and ozone filled the air and burned her sinuses.

“Tobestik, get your men up on that north barricade.” the turian leaning over the holographic map ordered.

“Yes, sir.” one of them said and split off from the group at a run.

“Sargent Bartus, find a way to get that comm tower operational.” he ordered the remaining turian.

“Sir.” the turian saluted and took off like a shot.

“General?” Shepard asked as she stopped before the table displaying the map.

“Commander Shepard. Heard you were coming, but I didn't believe it. General Corinthus.”

“I've come to get Primarch Fedorian.” she wasted no time telling him exactly why she was there.

Corinthus froze and looked at several places on that map before finally answering. “Primarch Fedorian is dead. His shuttle was shot down an hour ago as he tried to leave the moon.”

“That's gonna complicate things.” Shepard grumbled, glancing at the map. “How bad is this?”

“We've lost four hundred men in half an hour. We set up camps in established locations to flank the enemy. A sound strategy, but...”

“Irrelevant....” Shepard understood where he was coming from.

“Exactly. There's just too many of them. It makes them immune to that kind of tactic.” he paused for a moment as he leaned on the table. “The Primarch and his men found that out the hard way.”  
“I'm sorry. I hear he was a good man.” Shepard offered her condolences. It was the best she had.

“And a friend. He would have been an outstanding diplomat.”

“So what happens now?” Shepard leaned in, trying to draw him out of the grief she saw clouding his eyes.

“The turian Hierarchy provides very clear lines of succession.” Liara offered.

“With such heavy casualties, it's hard for me to know who's next. Palaven command will know, but the comm tower's down. I can't so much as a hiccup to them.” Corinthus sounded irritated.

“Alright, we've got a tower to fix.” Shepard said to her team.

“There are husks swarming it, we can't get near it.” Corinthus called as they moved down the ramp.

“We've got this.” Shepard called back.


	49. Killing Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus had made it back to the command center. He learns that Shepard is on Menae.

“Hey, Vakarian! When you gonna open that wine? You know, share some with your team.” One of the men he normally shared a shelter with called from the gate as he passed through it.

Lilfrey split off in another direction. He was not sad to see her go. After the browbeating she had given him, he needed some distance from her.

“Not happening, Aptus.” he called back as he headed toward the shelter. He heard the other laugh.

There would be chatter, speculation and teasing tonight. Most of them suspected he was saving the bottle for a special someone. Maybe a date with someone on the Citadel. One or two of them thought his interest was Lilfrey, but she had set them straight on that.

“Tultus said that was Commander Shepard that came through here half an hour ago.”

“You're an idiot, Aptus. Shepard's a guy, mean and hard as old metal.” Caellus laughed.

Garrus had stopped, his mouth was hanging slightly open when he turned back around to face them. “You're sure it was Shepard?”

“Yeah.” Aptus said as he held his hand up just to the top of his keelbone to indicate her height. “Human female, about so high, N7 armor and with a look on her face like she meant to chew up a Reaper and spit it back out.”

“There was an asari with her too. I still say that lumbering mountain with them was Shepard.” Caellus grumbled.

“He wasn't wearing N7 armor, Caellus. The female was.” Aptus mocked.

Garrus had blocked them out. His eyes wide and slightly unfocused for several heartbeats. It clicked with his next breath. He knew where she would go; the command center. If she was anywhere in the outpost, that was where she would be.

A thrill of anxiety and longing raced through him at the thought of seeing her again. She was alive. He closed his eyes against the tremor that surged through his mandibles at that thought. A second later he turned and ran hard toward the command center.

“Where's the fire, Vakarian?” Caellus called.

“Shut up, Caellus!” Aptus snapped and let out a heavy sigh of disgust.

“You think he's saving that wine for Commander Shepard?” Caellus asked.

Garrus did not hear the response as his long legs pulled him out of earshot. He slowed as he came within sight of the Command Center. Corinthus stood up there alone. He was staring toward the northern gate and Garrus followed his line of sight.

Just turning the corner toward that gate was Liara. He would know her anywhere. His heart hammered against his keel at who must surely be ahead of her. Corinthus did not notice him and he left it that way for the time being. There was time enough. He had a fair idea of where Shepard and her team were going. The comm towers must be down again. The Reaper-spawn were getting smarter, more concentrated and brutal about keeping the repair teams away from those towers all across Menae.

Garrus wanted to go after her, help her take down the threat she was going after, but he knew better. He knew his accuracy would be shot all to hell with his nerves as wound up as they were. The last thing he wanted to do was have another incident like Omega. Exhaustion and nerves had nearly gotten him killed when he neglected to put his helmet back on. He doubted he would survive that kind of hit again.

So, he settled in to wait. Stripping his weapons and cleaning them sounded like the perfect way to kill time. A few husks were not going to take Shepard down. They were not even likely to slow her down either. By the time he was finished cleaning his weapons, she and her team would be back anyway. At least he hoped so. If not, he would speak with the general, see what information the man had.


	50. Still Alive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard is expecting Corinthus to spit out the information he has promptly. Her irritation peaks at his reluctance just as a familiar figure steps in.

Shepard and her team made short work of the few remaining husks around the tower. The turian team they had passed along the way had done a stellar job of taking most of them out. As soon as the last husk dropped, Shepard ran for the control panel at the base of the tower.

“Dammit. We can repair it from here.” she growled. She considered which of her team was better suited to climb up that tower and attempt repairs at the source. James was big, muscular and probably far too heavy for the structure, she realized. Liara, being closer to her own size, was the best option. Her eyes settled on the asari.

“ _Goddess_ , you _can't_ be serious.” Liara breathed as she looked up at the next couple of tears along the length of the tower.

“I need you up there, Liara. I'll repair what I can from down here.” Shepard stated.

James was looking up too. “I'm too heavy. That thing isn't made for someone like me.”

“Fine! I'll go, but you owe me, Shepard!” Liara said angrily before grabbing the ladder and half running up it. “If you can keep the husks off me, I'd appreciate it.”

_Afraid of heights, go figure_ , Shepard realized as she watched her for a minute. A few minutes was all she was able to spare as more husks dropped in to say hello.

“Here they come.” James muttered as he checked his heat sync.

“You ready, James?”

“Hell, yeah! Let's take 'em.”

Shepard wasted no time in throwing out a singularity and capturing several of the newly landed husks. They writhed in the vortex as she fired her pistol at them. James was doing a fair job of simply riddling them with bullets with his assault rifle. It was too easy, going too well. She knew it to her bones as she turned back to the panel and checked the progress.

The second her back was turned, something grabbed her. She was yanked around and lifted off her feet, her face bare inches from the husk. Out of instinct, she drew back her fist, already biotically charged, and slammed it into the husk's face. It dropped her and she grabbed it's jaw, slamming it down to the ground with a vicious blast from her biotics and a yell. The husk's head split like a melon and she backed away in disgust.

“Shepard, are you alright?” came Liara's voice over the comm, her voice full of concern.

“I'm fine. They're even uglier up close and personal.” Shepard growled.

“I've repaired the tower's main satellite connection. I'm on my way down.” Liara said a moment later.  
“General, do you read? The comm tower is now operational.” Shepard patched into the main comm signal the base was using.

“Much appreciated, Commander. I'll contact Palaven Command.”

“Let me know when you've got something. I'll help you men until I hear from you.” Shepard stated as she took out another husk with her pistol.

“Understood.”

“Shepard out.”

There seemed to be a never ending supply of husks. She hated to think where those had come from. They had once been human. A good many of them were probably fresh from Earth. It killed her a little inside to think of all those innocent people. No matter who they had once been, Shepard kept taking them out until her comm went off.

“Commander Shepard, come in.” Corinthus' voice cut in over the roar of battle.

“Go ahead.”

“Come back to base, ASAP. I have information.” that was all he said.

“On our way.” Shepard said as she threw another singularity to capture the remaining husks. A moment later she moved off toward the gate.

It took less time to get back to the command center than it had taken to get to the tower. At least that was how it felt. Shepard had managed to clamp down on the emotions the sight of turians stirred in her. She could not deal with that now. The mission was what mattered. There would be time to grieve later if she learned he was dead.

“What have you got?” she asked Corinthus as she climbed the ramp.

“As your partner said, succession is usually simple. But right now, the Hierarchy's in chaos – so many dead or MIA.” Corinthus was saying.

The stress was proving too much. She snapped at him when he starting beating around the bush. “I need someone – I don't care who, as long as they can get us the turian resources we need.”

“I'm on it, Shepard. We'll get you the primarch.” there was no mistaking that voice.

Shepard froze as her eyes locked onto the familiar armored form making his way up the ramp. The surge of emotions she had struggled so hard to lock away broke free and she nearly rushed to him. Instead, she stood her ground stubbornly. Her voice betrayed her the instant she spoke, however.

“Garrus!” it was almost a breathless cry of joy at seeing him standing there, alive and well.

“Praetor Vakarian, sir – I didn't see you arrive...” Corinthus said tersely.

_Praetor_ _? Since when is he a praetor? Oh my god, does that mean_ _ **he**_ _could be the one I'm here for? The next primarch?_ Shepard's mind was spiraling out in circles over that idea. She could not imagine how that might have come to pass or how she had missed the possibility. The realization struck her that she had never actually known his rank. He was a C-Sec officer. That was all she had known when she first met him. According to the simplicity of his clan markings, she had assumed he was from a simple clan, blue for his homeworld. Now she wondered if that simplicity had been a cover.

“At ease, General.” Garrus said sounding much more comfortable with command than she had ever known him to be.

Shepard walked toward him slowly as he slung his rifle over his back. Her feet carried her along of their own accord. She felt as if her heart might hammer its way out of her chest to reach him as the thrill of seeing him thrummed through her entire body. Her words were little more than a gasp. “You're alive.”

After only a half a heartbeat of hesitation, she reached out to grab his hand. His grip was iron and his other hand covered hers as he tilted his head slightly toward her. There was a decidedly desperate look of relief in his eyes that she knew her own eyes mirrored. “I'm hard to kill – you should know that.”

Garrus released her quickly and backed away. His stance clearly returning to a more formal appearance before his unit, but his eyes remained locked on hers. She was sure she saw a desire to reach for her again in their depths.

“Good to see you again. I...thought you'd be on Palaven.” Shepard struggled to get the words out past the lump of relief in her throat. Knowing she had not left him to die was more than she could hope for.

“If we lose this moon, we lose Palaven. I'm the closest damn thing we have to an expert on Reaper forces, so I'm....advising.” there was a note of sternness she had not heard in his voice there before. His world was being decimated just as hers was. That edge of sternness was worry and stress, she realized. There was no doubt, he was in his element with the new level of command resting on his shoulders.

After a few seconds, she saw his eyes flick toward James with a dangerous glint in them. It struck her that he did not know the man. “James, this is Garrus Vakarian. He helped me stop the Collectors. He's a hell of a soldier.”

“Lieutenant.” Garrus shook his hand, the formality firmly in place. His eyes flicked toward the asari and softened a fraction. “Good to see you too, Liara.”

The asari took a couple of steps forward, her smile going all the way to her eyes. “Good to see you in one piece, Garrus.”

“General Corinthus filled me in. We know who we're after.” Garrus cocked his head to the side a fraction. He seemed to be watch Shepard for some telltale of her current emotional state.

“Palaven Command tells me that the next Primarch is General Adrien Victus.” Corinthus spoke up from his place at the strategical map.

“Victus... His name's crossed my desk.” Liara commented slowly.

“Know him, Garrus?” Shepard asked. From the look that crossed his face, she thought he must.

“I was fighting alongside him this morning.” Garrus nodded faintly. “Lifelong military. Gets results, popular with his troops. Not so popular with military command – has a reputation for playing loose with accepted strategy.”

“What do you mean?” Shepard asked. This guy sounded like a good mix to her. Someone this war needed.

“There was trouble on Taetrus. A salarian spy ring. His squad found them, but so did the turian separatists. He didn't neutralize the ring. He fell back instead and gave up valuable fortifications that the rebels took.” Liara elaborated.

Garrus spoke up when she was finished, adding the rest of the information to the story. “Then the rebels attacked the salarians. When both groups had worn each other down, Victus moved in. Didn't lose a man.”

Shepard was sure there was admiration in his tone. Corinthus spoke up sounding like a naysayer. “Bold strategy, but wild behavior doesn't get you advanced up the meritocracy.”

Garrus seemed to simply ignore the general. “Primarch Victus. That should be something to see.”

“Can we trust him to get the job done?” Shepard had to know. She already suspected Garrus knew the man well enough to assess that.

“We both know conventional strategy won't beat the Reapers. Right now he could be our best shot. And I trust him.” Garrus said, his voice full of confidence in the man they were discussing.

That was all she needed to hear. If Garrus trusted the man, then she would accept his opinion. “Ok, let's get him on the shuttle and get out of here.”


	51. Skirmish at the Gates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reaper forces are dropping at the gates and the team rushes in to handle them.

“Commander! Shepard, come in.” Joker's voice suddenly cut across their synced comms.

Shepard touched the implant near her ear and ducked her head, eyes trained on the floor. “Can this wait, Joker? We're in the middle of a war zone.”

Walking down the ramp, she listened to his reply. She did not seem to notice the rest of her team, including the turian, following her. At least not until Garrus stepped in front of her again. She glanced up at him, but her focus was on Joker.

“We've got a situation on the Normandy, Commander. It's like she's possessed – shutting down systems, powering up weapons.... I can't find the source.” Joker sounded frantic across the comm.

“I need the Normandy standing by. We may have to bug out.” Shepard took a deep breath. It was obvious she was trying to control her nerves.

“Should I go back and take a look?” Liara asked promptly.

“Do it.” Shepard nodded and watched the asari take off like a shot in the direction of their shuttle. She turned her attention to the turian before her. “Garrus, you said you were with Victus this morning?”

“Yeah, but we got separated. He could be anywhere out there.” Garrus answered simply. He left out the fact that Victus had recklessly run off to help a pair of dead men he thought were merely wounded.

“We're trying to raise him, Commander.” Corinthus said from his console.

“Oh hell, we got company! In coming Harvester!” the mountain of muscle Shepard had called 'James' yelled and ran for cover. “It's headed for the airfield!”

“Tell Primarch Victus we'll rendezvous here.” Shepard called to the general. Turning back to her team, she said. “In the meantime, let's go take care of whatever that thing dropped off.”

Garrus stamped down the tingle that pinged around beneath his plates at the look she gave him. Her next question was clearly directed at him. “Comin' Garrus?”

“Are you kidding? I'm right behind you.” he did not try to suppress the relief in his voice as he cocked his rifle and answered her. This was exactly where he wanted to be.

Shepard nodded at him and took off toward the airfield gate. She called over her shoulder, “James, that you breathin' so hard?”

“Atmosphere's a little thinner than I'm used to, is all.” James answered.

Mandibles flaring in a half smile, Garrus took a deep breath, a quiet laugh just under his breath. He ran ahead toward a barricade, James glaring at him the entire time. Lean and muscular with a little more bulk than the average turian, he might be, but he was sure he could easily run circles around that human.

“Adrenaline's better than oxygen.” James snapped as his eyes narrowed and followed Garrus. When his eyes tracked past the turian, they widened and he took careful aim at the Reaper-spawn rushing up to meet them. “Just me? Or do those Reapers look like turians?”

“You're right – they do.” Shepard said as a Marauder hit the dirt under Garrus' rifle fire.

“Marauder.... they're what the Reapers are turning my people into. Worse than husks. These things are almost on par with my aim.” Garrus explained as he watched her take cover near him. It thrilled him that much more that she chose to be close to him and not the human a few feet away.

Shepard leveled a sniper rifle over the edge of the barricade and Garrus raised a brow-plate at her. She gave him that crooked smile a second before she devoted her attention to the scope. Three head shots later, she tossed a warp out and sent a husk into a seizure.

“Nice shooting.” Garrus commented. He was impressed even as he took out a target of his own.

The shockwave Shepard threw out proved ineffective against some of the husks and Marauders swarming their way. He noticed the strength of her biotics was wavering. _She's hasn't been sleeping_... He did not have time to consider why as another herd of husks ran their way. Sniping them was proving ineffective as well. They were too close, one practically falling over the barricade in his face. That was the moment he realized the team was sloppy. James was not as efficient as some of the others he had worked with and Shepard was clearly exhausted.

“Crap...” he grumbled and stowed his rifle in favor of his pistol.

“Garrus! What are you doing?” Shepard snapped the second he dove over the barricade.

“What needs done.” he said simply and put the muzzle of his pistol against the face-plates of one of the Marauders.

Two rounds and its head virtually exploded at point-blank range. The spines of its fringe were elongated with metal tips and he snapped one of them off brutally. The next husk that ran up on him ended up with the makeshift blade through its eye. With him in the middle of the enemy forces, Shepard was forced to rely on her guns instead of her biotics. That was the very reason he had dove into them. He did not want her to wipe herself out.

“Dammit, Scars! Get out of the way!” James yelled as he nearly hit him with a round of rifle fire.

“One last Marauder....hiding over there...” Garrus panted a breath before he ran for a small drop-off.

It was over in seconds. The Marauder staggered around as if drunk, Garrus' makeshift blade angled upward and sticking out of the side of its neck. It fell over as he slowly walked back toward the barricade. Shepard was watching him intently and he realized he had never actually let loose like that in any of their runs together. _Said I'd give her a show._..

“I think we're done here.” James growled, frowning at Garrus.

“Scars, huh?” Garrus asked as he passed him.

“Yeah....you know....” the man nodded uncomfortably.

“He likes nicknames.” Shepard shrugged, her eyes still locked on him.

Garrus nodded, but narrowed his eyes at the human male. He was still not sure what he thought of the man. Heading for the gate, his eyes widened at the sight of turians scrambling to battle posts. He touched a point near his undamaged ear pore and called to the general. “What's going on, Corinthus?”

“Still trying to raise the primarch – but we've got trouble at the main barricade. If the Reapers breech it, we're done.”

“We're on our way, General.” Garrus did not wait for confirmation. Instead, he took off toward that gate.

Shepard was close on his heels from the sound of her footfalls behind him. She shot around him as they came in close to the barricade and swung herself up the ladder. Garrus did not wait, he simply used the inherent strength in his legs and sprang for the ledge. Catching it, he hauled himself up and took cover behind the railing. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shepard glance at him curiously before she stepped into the gun turret.

James was calling out obscenities to the Reaper-spawn he took down. Typical human soldier for a certainty. Garrus sniped whatever Shepard missed with the turret. The team was running smooth as silk in this endeavor. He meant to keep the commander from wiping herself out and if that meant he needed to be a little bold and reckless, so be it.

As he took them down, he began to enjoy the 'target practice'. He gave voice to it, joining James in camaraderie. “Ok, come on. Who's next?”

There was a brief lull and James made an odd comment. “Like shooting fish in a barrel.”

“What?” Garrus asked, raising up from his scope to look at him.

“Old human saying. Like fish in a barrel.” James pronounced each word slowly and the turian found it immensely irritating.

Garrus blinked at him, mandibles drawn in tight as he glanced back at the battlefield. “Heads up! Here comes another wave!”

When the Brute dropped, James ceased fire. “Holy hell! What is that thing?”

“Brace yourself!” Shepard yelled as the Brute charged the barricade.

It ran for the wall full tilt and hit hard. Garrus tried to grab her as she staggered and fell over the edge. She landed in a crouch and took off for cover, favoring her right side. The Brute reared up, pounded its chest and roared.

“ _Dammit!_ ” Garrus swore viciously and ran for the edge of the drop-off away from the Brute. He wasted no time in dropping down and running toward her.

Eyes widening, he sucked in a breath as it charged her. The only thing standing between Shepard and the Brute was a weakening biotic field. Drawing his pistol, Garrus ran at it firing. It was enough. The Brute's attention turned toward him and he dodge out of its way.

“ _Reckless idiot!_ ” the shout came from above, from the turrets.

Garrus glanced up and threw himself behind an outcropping of rock. He could have sworn he saw Lilfrey outlined in one of the explosions of a Reaper drop. There was no time to confirm it, however. Shepard was behind that outcropping holding her side.

“You alright?” he asked as he glanced at her.

She nodded and winced in pain as she peeked around the rock. Her voice was hoarse when she barked. “Incoming.”

Garrus was about to dart around the rock when she grabbed his forearm. His eyes locked with hers and she shook her head at him. He saw the glowing, biotically charged grenades in her other hand and his mandibles flared in a wide smile. She had picked up that trick from him with the heat sync charging.

Shepard threw the grenades at the Brute while someone else distracted it. Garrus caught a glimpse of Lilfrey slinging out a shockwave at it. Between her attack and Shepard's grenades, the Brute did not stand a chance. It went down with a roar. That left only the remaining husks to deal with. They went down like wheat before a scythe.

“Get back to the command center! Corinthus is about to pull his fringe off.” Lilfrey yelled before disappearing over the top of the barricade.

“Friend of yours?” Shepard asked quietly.

“You could say that.” Garrus nodded and noticed how Shepard's eyes suddenly narrowed dangerously at him.


	52. Chasing a Trail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard, Garrus and James chase the trail leading to the place Victus was last seen.

“We still can't raise him.” Corinthus grumbled as they drew near the command center.

Shepard saw a female turian standing near the man looking at the holographic map. She was pointing to a specific location not far from the outpost. “Here. This is where I last saw him.”

Coming up beside her, Shepard looked the location over that she had indicated. “There are a lot of places he could take cover.”

“If he uses his brain, yes.” the female nodded. “If not...the Cannibals will dine well tonight.”

“You're...” Shepard did not get the chance to finish.

“Kabalim Lilfrey Quanoxin, Cabal Recon Unit Mendose, R.U.M. for short.” the female locked brilliant blue eyes on her and nodded. “You're Commander Shepard.”

“Thanks for the help at the barricade.” Shepard said cautiously. She knew Garrus was Cabal, but he had to be low on the chain of command among them. His biotics were nowhere near as strong as this woman's clearly were.

Lilfrey nodded and pointed at Garrus. “ _He_ is reckless and loyal to a fault. Watch him closely, Commander. His heart will drive him into danger to protect that which he treasures.”

“Wait...when did you get promoted to Kabalim?” Garrus seemed to ignore her last statement.

“When _you_ jumped ship for C-Sec.” Lilfrey shot back.

“The human is confused here. Mind explaining?” Shepard made it a point to disrupt what seemed as if it was about to become a heated argument.

“Lil is a Cabal Commander. Her rank is pretty equal to yours, Shepard.” Garrus explained, shifting slightly.

Shepard nodded. There were other questions she meant to ask him later. Right now, they had a primarch to find. “Is this where you last saw him too, Garrus?”

“Pretty close.” the turian answered as he leaned in to take a look at the place on the map that Lilfrey had marked.

“Then we'll go on foot.” Shepard looked up at the two turians for a moment. “One of you wanna take me to the last place you saw him?”

“Garrus knows the way. It's not that far from where Victus and I left him.” Lilfrey stated with a nod of her head.

“Right.” Garrus nodded, sounding satisfied with that solution. He motioned for her to follow him before stepping into a lite jog.

They cleared the main gate without a word. He led her along a shallow ravine and climbed over a couple of short ledges in silence. She noticed how he kept glancing up at Palaven in the distant sky.

“How far?” Shepard finally asked just to break the tension.

“Should be pretty quick, unless we find trouble.” Garrus answered shortly.

“This is us, Garrus. Trouble follows us.” Shepard reminded him. She heard him chuckle faintly at that and breathed a short sigh of relief.

The turian slipped around a corner on her while she was staring off at the distant Reaper tearing through another outpost. The sight froze her blood. After a few seconds, she glanced around her, looking for his path. When she caught the flash of faint light off his armor, she darted around that corner.

They jogged a short distance before they came to a steeps slope. She watched Garrus crouch down, put one hand on the ground behind him and slide down that slope. Once he was down, she followed him.

“So....Lilfrey....” Shepard began and did not quite know how to broach the subject she needed to address. The need to know was burning through her heart. Unfortunately, it was the one question she could not voice outright.

“Is a pain in my ass. I'll be glad to put some distance between me and that rabid verrin.” Garrus was clearly irritated with the turian woman.

“That bad, huh?” she knew the relief was plain in her tone and she did not bother to hide it.

“Hmm...bad enough I'd toss her out an airlock if we were aboard the Normandy.” Garrus glanced back at her briefly as he came to a ledge he needed to climb over.

“That's...um....that's pretty bad, Garrus.” there was a laugh in her voice.

“Damn....” his voice turned from irritation to grief the second he stopped at a drop-off and looked up at his homeworld. “Look at Palaven. That _blaze_ of organge – the _big_ one – _that's_ where I was born.”

“That's rough.” James said, bringing up the rear of their little group. “Still have family there?”

Shepard watched the turian for a moment. There were things she wanted to say, but did not know exactly how to start. She felt for him and her heart reached out to him. They were both losing their worlds to the Reapers and it was only going to get worse.

Glancing back at James, she wondered just how much the loss of Earth was affecting him. From what she had seen so far, not much. Quiet as he was, she had almost forgotten he was there. If not for the heavy breathing and heavier footfalls, she might have thought she and Garrus were alone in this.

“My dad, a sister.” Garrus answered.

Shepard let out a quiet breath at that. She had hoped Castis and Solana had made it off world before the Reapers hit their city. From the sound of his voice, she was fairly certain they were still there. The question was; were they alive?

“How bad is it?” James pressed.

“Three million lost the first day, five the second.” he answered harshly.

“How's your military holding up?” Shepard asked even though she knew these questions were causing him pain. She had to know. More specifically, the Alliance needed to know.

The look in his eyes when he glanced back at her should have been enough. His mandibles were drawn in tight to his face, the skin around his eyes was pinched in stress and his voice was tight. “Look around. That should give you some idea.”

Garrus moved on ahead and was about to climb over another ledge as she drew in close. She put her hand on his shoulder then. “You're puttin' up a good fight.”

“For now. But how long's it take before the fight's kicked out of you?” he let out a frustrated sigh and shook his head. When he spoke again, the sharp tone had melted away. “If they'd only listened to your warnings about the Reapers. We might have been ready.”

“Maybe. Hard to figure how you prepare for something like this.” James commented.

Garrus shook his head and glared at the man, his mandibles low and mouth parted slightly. A heartbeat later, he turned back toward the ledge and thrust himself up over it. Shepard knew that look. She knew he was going to clam up. James had pushed him too far with that last comment.

“Got inbound, Shepard.” James called as the sound of husks came to them.

Three, only three of them and they were down before either of the males could draw a weapon. Shepard had hit them with a biotic blast. It knocked them off the cliff they had come to.

“Shit, I hate those things.” James complained. “And New York is crawling with the creepy bastards! Ugh...never should have left Earth.”

“They were human once, Vega. Never forget that.” Shepard growled at him.

“It's gonna be bad all over.” Garrus commented.

“Leavin' the fight just pisses me off.” James continued to complain.

Shepard stopped and turned to face the man. She was about to rip him a new one when the turian stepped up to him. The hard look on his face stalled her and nearly stopped her heart.

“You're here asking Victus to do the same thing.” Garrus towered over Vega menacingly. “Leave the fight to make nice in some boardroom.”

“Garrus...” Shepard put a hand on his armored bicep. Her voice was soft when she spoke. “This summit may be the only chance any of us has got. None of us are beating the Reapers alone.”

Garrus studied her face. She knew what he saw as his eyes roved over her features. Dark circles, drawn cheeks, wear, dirt and exhaustion, those were just some of the things her face would tell him. Her eyes were pleading with him to see the truth; they needed the support of the Council to win this.

“Alright.” Garrus let out a breath he must have been holding. “I trust you, Shepard.”

They continued onward in silence until they came to a group of turians, one obviously wounded. Shepard felt compelled to ask, “Soldier, you ok?”

“Sir!” the one standing said as Garrus stopped before him. Then his eyes found her. “We'll make it.”

“Have you seen General Victus?” Garrus asked.

“Half hour ago, headed south.” the turian said. From the look on Garrus' face, she was sure he knew the man.

“Ok, good luck, Aptus.” Garrus patted him on the shoulder before stepping away.

“Yes, sir!” Aptus said.

They made it maybe a dozen feet before the screaming of failing engines drew their attention to the sky. A fighter headed toward them out of control. A Reaper beam grazed across its tail.

“Whoa, look out!” James yelled as it veered toward them.

A second later the craft veered toward the cliff face before them and slammed into it. The blast nearly knocking them from their feet as it it exploded. Shepard took off running for it, hoping there were survivors.

“That was a little closer than I'd like.” Garrus barked as he followed her.

“Dammit.... No survivors...” Shepard shook her head as she got as close as the blaze would allow.

“Not surprising, not with a crash like that.” Garrus almost sounded sympathetic.

“So, Lola.... You really think this summit will work? I mean, asari? Salarians? Where's the krogan and batarians? Where's the meat?” James asked as they continued traveling.

“It's not that easy.” Shepard grumbled. She caught the look on the turian's face. He was practically asking why James was calling her anything other than 'Commander' or 'Shepard'. Of course he knew 'Lola' was not even close to her actual name.

“The batarians took the first hit when the Reapers arrived. Not much left of _them_... The _krogan_ have never forgiven us for the genophage.” Garrus answered for her after a moment.

“Right. Turians sterilized them.” the light seemed to go on for James at that.

“Salarians came up with it.” Garrus sounded as if he were defending his people. Shepard could not blame him.

“And the krogan hate them both for it.” Shepard put in with just a bit more attitude than she had intended.

“So they won't be joining us” Garrus sighed.

“Too bad. I've fought with a krogan. They're tough sons of bitches.”

Shepard sighed inwardly. _Just what I need. Maybe what the galaxy needs right now....more animosity. Dammit, we need the krogan at least. James is right, they are tough._

She was beginning to wonder if they were ever gonna find this guy when the sound of Reaper-spawn dropping in came to their ears. It did not sound good. She was about to pick up the pace when James piped up.

“That doesn't sound good.”

“Let's move. No Reaper's taking this primarch from me.” she growled as she stepped into a run.


	53. In Search of the Primarch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team finds a ruined outpost still under heavy attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a slower chapter here. Taking a brain-break today. [gaming...hmmm]

James did not know for sure how to take this whole thing. First they left Earth and picked up the asari from Mars, then to the Citadel to meet with the Council only to be ordered to Palaven. As they rushed into the half destroyed outpost, he fired randomly at Reaper-spawn. He kept glancing at the scarred turian who had joined their team. Shepard said he was a a hell of a soldier and so far, she was right, but he could not help the feeling that there was something more. The guy clearly outranked her. He had generals saluting and deferring to his judgment. Yet he fell in and followed her orders as easily as oil. The way they looked at each other spoke volumes to him, however. There was fire between them. He had seen it hundreds of times between soldiers on the field. It was unexpected between a human and a turian though.

Picking off a Marauder heading toward the turian, he frowned. Big, that scarred turian was bulkier than most. He could see that it was not just his armor that made him appear so. His muscles were heavier than some of the scrawnier specimens around them. He carried himself as if he could take on an entire team alone. Ordinarily, that would not have bothered James. This one had gotten in his face, snapped at him and made a valid point he could not easily argue.

“Move into the compound!” Shepard yelled as they cleared the Marauders from the shattered gates.

“Right behind you!” James yelled and followed her, assault rifle ready to take down anything moving with too many mechanical parts hanging from it.

“Brute!” Scars yelled as they leaped over an earthen barricade.

Shepard had just enough time to look over her left shoulder before it charged her. James unloaded an entire clip into it. He noted that Scars was doing the same, but it was moving too fast. It slammed into the commander and sent her flying. She landed against another barricade with a grunt.

James kept firing on the monster even as he noticed the turian race toward the woman. He had not been around their kind long enough to be able to really read their faces, but he was good at body language. The way the turian ran for her, firing off rounds blinding at the Brute, screamed of fear and anxiety.

The Brute went down under another full clip and he turned to see how bad this was. Scars was kneeling beside the commander, helping her up. After a moment, he stood and pulled her to her feet. His gloved hand ever so gently wiping a streak of blood away from her temple. She flinched and gripped his hand with a nod before stepping away.

“Ok, boys! Now's our chance!” came a turian yell just as the Brute toppled over completely.

They continued to move through the ruined outpost. The enemy went down fast under their attacks and they continued to hear that turian shouting orders. _Has to be the one we're here for. Got a loud enough mouth to be a general, that's for sure._

Shepard picked up something he thought looked like a kind of like particle cannon near one of the modules. She looked it over as he and Scars cleared out more of the Marauders. He saw a Brute drop a couple of dozen feet away as the turian rushed over to the commander.

After a minute or so, Scars pointing out a couple of features on the device and Shepard nodding. A moment later, she aimed and fired the weapon at the Brute. One shot, that was all it had taken. It was like a supernova going off in the middle of the battlefield. The monster went down in a cloud of dust.

“Holy hell!” James exclaimed, his eyes wide. “Where can I get one of those?”

The third Brute did not go down so easily. That particle cannon was only good for one shot. Shepard tossed it to the side after she took down the second. She took cover and hit the enemy with a shockwave to throw it off balance. He noticed Scars doing something with a couple of heat syncs and tucked himself in close to the turian.

“What are you doin' with those, Scars?” he asked as he peeked out and fired a couple of rounds.

“You'll see....” was all he said as he palmed three of them.

“Holy shit, you're Cabal?” James gasped as the heat syncs began to glow faintly blue in the turian's hands.

“Hmm..” Garrus nodded before he loaded one of them into the lower barrel of his rifle. A moment later he took careful aim. “Concussive shot ready!”

“Take him down, Garrus!” Shepard shouted back.

Between one breath and the next, the turian fired, reloaded and fired again. Two of those biotic charged heat syncs hit the Brute like a cannon. The third round did the job and the monster went down.

“Damn, where did you learn to do that?” James asked as Shepard sidled into cover beside him.

“Nice touch, Garrus. I thought those concussive rounds were standard ordinance.” Shepard commented softly.

“I ran out weeks ago. Figured I could put my 'extra training' to good use. Modified my Mantis to fire 'bigger' rounds.” the flaring of the turian's mandibles seemed like a smile to James as the alien patted the rifle affectionately. “I love this rifle.”

Shepard chuckled and gripped the turian's bicep for a second before leaving their cover. “Ok, Garrus. Bring your 'girlfriend' and let's go get this primarch.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting close to that second reunion between Shepard and Garrus. Those precious moments alone, away from battle and troops... Those are the moments I know we're all holding our breath for. It won't be long.


	54. Primarch Victus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard and her team finally reach the new primarch.

Shepard marched right up to the shelter as they turians within dropped the ramp. “Genera Victus?”

“Yes.” the turian in black and red armor answered as he stepped down the ramp and stopped before her.

Taking in his battle worn appearance, she nodded and continued. “I'm Commander Shepard of the Normandy.

“Ah, Commander, I know who you are. I can't _wait_ to find out brings you out here.”Victus slung his rifle onto his back with a slight flaring of his mandibles. He looked to Garrus then and clasped his hands behind his back. "Vakarian – where did you go?”

Garrus shifted from one foot to the other, cocking his head to the side and flaring his mandibles. “Heavy Reaper unit on the right flank... You and Lilfrey running off into the middle of them.. I believe your exact words were 'keep them off my ass'.”

Victus nodded after a moment. “Appreciate it.”

“General, we need you off-planet. I've come to get you.” Shepard realized there was no easy way to break the information or the need to this man. Instead of trying to sugar-coat it, she just dove straight into the topic.

“It will take something beyond important for me to leave my men, or my turian brothers and sisters, in their fight.” Victus glanced away from her. He looked tired, but determined as he looked back at her.

“Fedorian was killed. You're the new primarch.” Garrus blurted.

_Nice one, Garrus. Scare the shit out of him. If he doesn't run down a rabbit hole, we'll be lucky_. Shepard closed her eyes for a brief second before locking them back on Victus. The turian looked shell-shocked to her as his eyes locked on some point near the ground for a moment. She thought it best to continue on quickly, before he did cut and run.

“You're needed immediately to chair a summit and represent your people in the fight against the Reapers.” Shepard watched him, moved aside as he walked past her. _Here we go_.

Victus continued on for several feet before he stopped and looked at the sky, up at Palaven. The raging fires of destruction across that globe were clear, huge in scope and growing with every passing second. The Reapers were destroying his world and she knew just how torn he was about leaving it.

“I'm primarch of Palaven? Negotiating for the turian hierarchy?” he seemed to be asking himself those questions. Letting their answers sink in for several long minutes.

“Yes.” Shepard said after a dozen or so heartbeats.

The turian turned and walked back toward her. She thought his face still held more than a little shock. His body language told her he was still having trouble swallowing the whole idea. “I've spent my whole life in the military. I'm no diplomat... I hate diplomats.”

“You think you're not qualified, I get it..” Shepard began and he cut her off, gentle thought it was.

“I'm not a 'by the book' kind of guy....” there was a faint smile on his face with his next words. It melted away with his last. “..and I piss people off. My family's been military since the Unification War. War is my life. It's in my bones. But that kind of passion is....deceptive. It can make you seem reckless when you're anything but.”

Giving him a hard look, Shepard stepped forward, just shy of his personal space and looked up into his eyes. “You use what you know. Right now, we need that. The galaxy needs leaders who have seen this hell. You know war? Bring _that_ to the table. Use it as your resume.”

“I like that. You're right” Victus was looking her dead in the eyes when he said that.

“Uniting these races is going to take as much strength as facing the Reapers. We need strong leaders to get the job done.” Shepard reinforced her encouragement. She knew the kinds of people the war needed; people like herself, Garrus, Anderson and countless others. People who would not back down, would not lay down their arms and would not stop until they're last breath. Finally, she stepped away from him and pointed out the ruin of a downed ship not far away, the fires on Palaven and the bodies of the dead who had not yet been covered. “See this devastation, Primarch? Double that for Earth. I _need_ an alliance. I _need_ the turian fleet.”

Shepard saw the heartbreaking look Garrus gave her as she stood there. It was mirrored to a lesser degree in the eyes of the new primarch. The turian walked toward her. When he stopped, he took a shallow breath and glared down at her. She wondered for a moment exactly what he meant to do. What he meant to say.

“Give me a moment to say goodbye to my men.” he growled.

Nodding, Shepard watched him turn back toward the turians who were scattered around the outpost. She knew it would not take long. The unit had been whittled down to a handful of men.

Watching him go, she caught movement and glanced back at Garrus. She noted the hard look on his face as he stopped well out of her personal space. He seemed a little angry and she could not blame him

Garrus waved a hand toward the exiting primarch. His voice was harder than the look on his face. “Without him down here, there's a good chance we lose this moon.”

“Without him up there, there's a good chance we lose _everything_.” Shepard needed him to see the bigger picture. She understood, oh how she did. His world's leader, one of the strongest military strategists Palaven had to offer, was being asked to leave the battle behind and play diplomat. Sighing, she locked eyes with him and shook her head. It had nearly killed her to leave Earth.

“Look at that! And they want _my_ opinion on how to stop it?” Garrus turned his head toward the Reaper in the distance. He stepped toward the edge of the cliff. His mandibles were drawn in tight, eyes narrowed. “Failed C-Sec officer, vigilante....and _I'm_ their expert advisor?”

Shepard watched him for a moment. There was pain in his eyes when he looked back at her. The pain of watching his world burn, his species being decimated. She understood it all too well. His voice was softer when he spoke again, looking back toward the Reaper and his world above it. “Think you can win this thing, Shepard?”

“Yeah...” it was almost a gasp of pain when she turned to face him. “I don't know, Garrus. But I'm sure as hell gonna give it my best shot.”

“I'm damn sure nobody else can do it. For whatever it's worth, I'm with you.” he looked determined and something more.

Shepard took his hand, it felt formal, but she thought that was needed to make it official. “Welcome aboard.”

The turian shifted, a faint smile spreading his mandibles, his eyes following her. Clear, crystal blue tracking her every breath. She wondered exactly what was going on behind them as she glanced to her side and saw Victus heading her way.

“You ready, Primarch Victus?” she asked simply.

“One thing,” he began as he stopped before her. "Commander, I appreciate your need for our fleets, but I can't spare them. Not while my world is burning. But if the pressure could be taken off Palaven...”

“That's a pretty tall order.... What are you suggesting?” Shepard tilted her head to the side and could not help the glaring look she gave him.

“We need the krogan.” he said brusquely as he stepped closer. “I can't see us winning this thing without them. Get them to help us, and then we can help you.”

“The krogan....” Shepard glanced off toward the downed ship, eyes unfocused slightly. _He's not asking much, is he. Nope, just go get the krogan. It'll be easy.._...

“Looks like your summit just got a lot more interesting.” Garrus snarked as he shifted his weight.

_Laugh it up, Garrus.._.. She turned and walked off a little ways on that one. Chewing on and tossing out several ideas at once. It could work, she knew it could, but convincing the krogan was the hard part. _What will they want in exchange for their help?_ Deep in the back of her mind, she already knew what they were going to ask for. That meant finding Mordin.

“Cortez, we need a pick-up.” Shepard touched the implant near her ear and called the shuttle pilot.

“On my way.” his reply crackled with mild interference.

“I've radioed ahead, I'm leaving Corinthus in charge in my absence. Lilfrey is to take your place as his second.” Victus was saying as they made their way to the outpost's ruined gate. “You're coming with me, Vakarian. I'll need your input for this summit.”

“I was coming anyway.” Garrus said quietly.

“I realize that, but no one will question the _reasons_ if you're under _my_ orders.” Victus had a sly sound to his voice, as if he knew or suspected something.

“Right...” Garrus agreed, sounding as if the light had just gone on in his head.

The shuttle came in and landed, kicking up dust that Shepard shielded her eyes from. Cortez had brought it in as close to the gate as he could get it. Standing back, she allowed the turians to board first. As soon as they were in, she followed them for the short ride to the Normandy.

The moment the shuttle settled in the bay, Shepard was out the hatch. She guided the two turians at her heels to the new command hub. No matter how many times she stood in that room, she would never see it that way. It was more of a war room to her. The CIC was the real command hub. That was where she gave the majority of her orders from. This new room did have it's merits. There was some seriously sophisticated equipment to be found there. That was where she left Victus and Garrus as she headed into the comm room. She had people to speak to.

*

“The asari have been down this road before, Commander Shepard.” Tevos complained after coming to the comm.

“But Madame Councilor, let me – ” Shepard tired again.

“I tried to smooth things over with the salarian dalatrass. To say she's upset would be a monumental understatement.” Tevos stated calmly.

“Some of these issues are hundreds of years old. Time to let go.” Shepard leaned forward, toward the railing and snapped at the asari.

Tevos nodded before clasping her hands behind her back. “Sad to say, but any effort to ally these disparate groups seems doomed to failure. And I'm sure you understand, we cannot afford to waste time with the Reapers knocking at our door. This must be my final word. I'm sorry, but the asari will not be at your summit.”

“Our alliance would be stronger with the krogan. You need them – we all do.”

“I wish you luck, Commander. Goodbye.” the asari nodded her head and was gone.

“ _Dammit!_ ” Shepard snarled and hit the top of the railing with her palms in frustration. Gripping it, she rocked back and forth for several seconds, anger barely controlled. She hated this political game they were all forcing her to play. The time for games and old grievance was over. This war was, as Tevos had said, 'knocking at their doors'. For some, it had barged right in and made itself at home.

“Commander, Admiral Hackett is available on the vid comm.” Trayner's voice cut through the cloud of anger enveloping her brain.

“Patch him through.” it was a near automatic response now.

No sooner than his image had solidified, he was off and running with a bombardment of questions and orders. “Commander, have you retrieved the primarch for your summit?”

“Yes, sir.” she nodded tiredly. “But the asari are staying on the sidelines.”

He shook his head at that. “They'll regret that. The time for unity is now.”

“The salarians will be there, though.”

“You don't sound very optimistic.” Hackett narrowed his eyes at her slightly.

“We expect the _krogan_ will be joining us, too.” she thought that might get a rise out of him. Everyone knew the history between those groups.

“I see. Well, you've got your hands full, Commander.” he tilted his head at her and blinked a couple of times. “Was there something else you needed to discuss?”

“Sending us to Mars was a good call.” Shepard let out a tired breath. “Without the information in the Archives, we might not stand a chance.”

“Still doesn't make up for the fact that the Reapers nailed us to the wall.” Hackett grumbled as he shifted slightly. He looked away, eyes focused on some far off point as he continued. “I sacrificed the entire Second Fleet to provide cover for the Third and Fifth to retreat.” he shook his head, clearly still in shock over it. “Hell, I presided over the most devastating military defeat in human history.”

“How do you see us winning this war, Admiral?” Shepard asked honestly.

“By making you the tip of the spear.” he pointed at her, the force in his voice almost a palpable thing.

“I'm flattered, but the Normandy's just one ship.” Shepard said, taking an involuntary step back.

“She's fast, you can move in, hit targets and leave before the enemy has a chance to react.”

“That's an advantage, but do you really think it can win the war?” _One ship against an entire fleet of Reapers....god, how does he think this is gonna work?_

“We can't defeat them in a full frontal assault, Shepard. Divide and conquer. We find their soft spots, pick them off a few at a time and avoid the full force of their strength. We buy time enough to finish the Prothean device.” he paused and looked her squarely in the eyes. “Right now, I need you focused on gaining the support of the other species. Keep me posted on the details of this summit. Hackett out.”

Shepard all but held herself up on that railing. She leaned over it, head down and just breathed for a few minutes. _He's not asking much, is he? Just the whole damn galaxy on the defensive whether they like it or not_. She shook her head, closing her eyes and let out something between a sob and a laugh before pushing herself off the railing. Some shore leave was starting to sound nice. Maybe even retirement.

Turning, she walked back into the command hub and Victus drew her attention to him. As she stepped down the few steps leading to the holographic display, she stopped before him. It was clear he wanted to speak to her.

“Commander, thank you for allowing me to use your ship – and going along with this plan. Garrus said he had to attend to the Normandy's weapon's systems. Something about...calibrations.” Victus raised a brow-plate at her and she purposely ignored it.

“That sounds like Garrus.” she nodded and changed gears. “I'm sorry the asari councilor won't be joining us. She thinks there's too much bad blood with the krogan.”

Victus tapped his chin thoughtfully before replying. “She may be right, but there'll be a lot more blood – real blood – if we don't try.”

“Yeah...”

“The sooner we have this summit, the sooner we'll know.” Victus sighed regretfully. “The battle of all time is happening on Palaven and I'm light-years away, reading casualty reports in the millions. If I'm going to die, I want to be with my men so there's no doubt we fought to the last soul.”

“I understand. Leaving Earth to save it... it's one of the hardest things I've ever done.” Shepard blinked back the sting in her eyes that threatened to betray just how hard that decision had been.

Victus must have noticed. He tilted his head back slightly as if proud to see the same kind of reaction he must have had himself. “I'm not surprised... explains why Garrus speaks so highly of you. You never asked to be a leader, yet your people will die if you refuse. We find ourselves in similar circumstances. Let's hope the spirits grant us the strength to see it through.”

“Thank you, Primarch. My thoughts are with Palaven.” Shepard nodded respectfully.

“And mine with Earth.” he stated quietly.


	55. Shiny and New

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something's amiss in the AI core.

Tired, she was so very tired that for a moment when the power bogged down, she thought it was her imagination. She should have known better. Nothing was ever easy.

“Commander! EDI just went offline.” came Joker's frantic call over the ship's comm.

“What do you _mean_ 'offline'?” Shepard barked.

“I don't know. She's not responding, and I can't reach the AI core diagnostics.” Joker elaborated. “You better get down to deck three.”  
“Ahhh..dammit...” Shepard sighed as she headed for the elevator at a jog.

“Commander, comm systems are going haywire. Whatever's happening is centered on deck three.” Trayner said as she passed the woman.

“I'm already on my way, Trayner.” Shepard grumbled half under her breath as she entered the elevator.

At least the elevator was not yet affected, she realized as she took it down to the crew deck. She stopped briefly to glare at that memorial wall right outside the elevator. The thing still gave her a chill every time she saw it. Bad enough there were a number of names already on it, worse that it was right there, serving as a constant reminder that countless more had already lost their lives to the Reapers. More would undoubtedly join them and be added to that wall. She refused to even entertain the idea of who might be next as she ran around the bend toward the med bay.

The power went completely down for a total of three heartbeats before the roar of returning systems thrummed through the ship again. The lights continued to flicker as she picked up her pace. This was bad and she knew it. Without that AI the ship was a dead stick. They would be forced to hard-wire many of the systems to to limp back to the Citadel for repairs. She began to wonder if this was not some sort of Cerberus safeguard to prevent her from taking the ship.

As she entered the room, she saw two crewmen standing just outside the door to the AI core with fire extinguishers. Chakwas was sitting at her computer staring at the door. The look on her face a mixture of fear and anxiety.

“Automated systems have the fires contained. It should be safe to enter.” Adams said as she drew up beside him. “We'll follow your lead.”

“Open it.” it was a simple enough order. She heard the roaring noise beyond and glanced between the two men. “What's that sound?”

“Fire Suppressant System. Must still be an electrical fire in there somewhere.” Adams stated even as the other man keyed his omni-tool to open the fail-safe on the door.

“All clear.” the other said as the lock released.

“I'm goin' in.” Shepard nodded.

The second the door opened, she was hit with a blast of choking smoke. Adams fired his extinguisher into the room for good measure beside her. The other man hung back as she stepped forward.

“EDI? Talk to me.” a couple of steps in, she ducked to the side expecting a blaze of flames when the AI core suddenly powered up. The bank on the opposite side of the room followed suit and Shepard focused her attention ahead.

In the smoke, she saw a band of orange light. She heard the distinctive sound of footsteps seconds before the machine stepped out of the smoke. The gasp was suppressed as she reached for the dark energy that fueled her biotics when she recognized the robotic form of Eva Core.

“Is there a particular topic you wish to discuss, Shepard?” it asked in EDI's voice as it came to a stop before her.

Adams kept his pistol trained on it as he drew up beside her quickly. Shepard, however, had released her biotics before they had ever had a chance to manifest. She asked in mild shock, “EDI?”

“Yes.” the AI answered as she looked at her own hand, turning it this way and that.

“You're in Dr. Eva's body....” Shepard took a single step forward, still unsure if she could trust this thing.

“Not all of me, but I have control of it.” she crossed her arms, mimicking the actions of nearly every organic on the ship at one time or another. “It was not a seamless transition.”

Shepard rolled her shoulders as she glared at the mechanical woman. “Transition? You blacked out on us for awhile there.”

“Correct. When we brought this unit on board, I began a background process to search for its information on the Prothean device. The unit attempted a physical confrontation when a backup power source activated the CPU. I gained root access and repurposed it to my requirements. It struggled – thus the fire.”

“You shouldn't have done this alone, EDI.” Shepard growled at her.

“Bringing the crew up to speed would have limited reaction time.” EDI said simply.

Shepard just stared at the AI for a moment. She knew there was no arguing the logic of her responses or actions right them. Disorienting though it was, she had to admit, it was nice to finally put a face to the voice. “So if you're in there, are you still in the ship?”

“I remain within the ship. For optimal control, this unit should remain within broadcasts or tightbeam range.” EDI shifted her feet, clearly checking the balance in her new body.

“Are you planning to take that body somewhere?” Shepard asked suspiciously. Her first thought was that the AI might be considering joining in on some of the away missions.

“This platform could provide limit ground support where as Normandy cannot.” EDI answered the question Shepard had not asked effortlessly.

“I need you to make sure this mech doesn't have anymore surprises before we can even consider that possibility, EDI.”

“One moment, running trials.” EDI said. It was unnerving to watch her eyes flick back and forth as she ran those internal processes. “Complete. I can send you a full report if you wish. However, my first priority should be restoring functionality to Normandy.”

“Just... don't be surprised if the crew are a little wary of your new body. It was just shooting at them not long ago.” Shepard said as delicately as she could.

“An excellent point. I will take it to the bridge. Joker will also want to see it.” EDI stated.

“On that we can agree.” Shepard stated as the mech walked out. She could only imagine Joker's reaction to that stepping up behind him.

“Was that EDI who just walked by?” Chakwas asked, her eyes still rounded in shock and locked to the door the woman had clearly passed through.

“Yes, it was.” Shepard confirmed with a smile.

“Joker is going to have a _field_ day with that.” Chakwas laughed.

“Yes, he is.” Shepard could not contain her own chuckle at the thought.

“I only wish we could record his reaction when he sees her. It's sure to be priceless.” Chakwas chuckled and turned back to her computer.

Shepard let a snicker slip past her lips as she waved a hand at the woman and headed for the door. Stepping out of the med bay, she thought about rushing over to the main battery right then. Unfortunately, she knew that desire had to wait just a little longer. There was a pilot on the flight deck likely flipping out at that very moment. She had to be sure he did not keel over up there from shock.

It was a quick trek up to command deck. She could hear the whispers, some excited, some not so much, from the skeleton crew monitoring the main systems. It was not every day that a shiny new mech walked by, especially one shaped like EDI. _Maybe she'll embarrass the Reapers to death with her nakedness._...

“Hey, Commander! Check out my copilot!” Joker sounded like a little kid with a new toy in his excitement.

“So she installed herself into the new body without any _help_ from _you_?” Shepard asked suspiciously, eyes narrowing at the man. She just could not see the AI doing it alone. EDI's co-conspirator had to be sitting right there in front of her.

“Come on, Commander. Don't you trust me?” Joker turned his chair all the way around to face her. He seemed honest enough.

Shepard crossed her arms.

“Ok, let me put it this way: if I knew EDI was gonna install herself into a sexy robot body, do you really think I'd be able to keep quiet about it?” Joker turned his chair enough to look at EDI. He held his hands up to frame her. “Look at that! I'd have baked a cake!”

“I am right here, Jeff.” if an AI could be self-conscious, EDI was making a very good show of it.

“Yes you are, EDI. Yes you are.” there was a clear note of lust in Joker's voice as he turned his chair back toward his station.

Shepard rolled her eyes.

After a moment, Joker spoke up again. “Hey, I know I used to rag on Garrus for being all angry, but I'm glad he's back. There's a whole lot of crap out there needs a bullet between the eyes and he's just the guy to put it there. Plus we might need something....calibrated.”

“Is that the new rolling joke?” Shepard asked, a faint laugh in her words. Everyone on board knew just how obsessive the turian was about calibrating the weapons to pinpoint accuracy.

“Absolutely....until I dig up more dirt.”

_Oh god....he wouldn't dare_. She redirected her attention to EDI. The 'woman' was poking at the controls before her attentively. Of course, there was no need. Shepard thought she was doing it just to normalize her physical presence. “How are you adjusting to the arms and legs?”

“I am interested in seeing how this body performs under real combat situations.” the AI stated as she stood. “Without stress-testing, there is no way of knowing if it has serious design oversights. At the moment, it appears adequate.”

“That's not the word I'd use to describe you.” Joker piped up.

EDI glared at him. “Perhaps we should speak privately.”

Shepard nodded and gave Joker a faint smile with a nod as he strained to watch them go.

“I'll be over here, flying the ship.” he grumbled.

“What's this about? Does Joker not like your new platform?”

“No, he approves. He wants me on the bridge. He says having me within visual range is important to his morale.” EDI sounded defensive. She stepped into a clear parade-rest stance before her next question. “Shepard – do you believe a member of your crew should be allowed to disobey an order on moral grounds?”

“Absolutely. I have no use for a team who can't think for themselves.” she answered with a nod. In reality, that was one of the highest standards she held her crew up to. “If my crew can't make the hard choices, then how am I supposed to? Each of them needs to be ready, willing and able to pick up the reigns of command if the situation calls for it. Why do you ask?”

“I was designed by Cerberus. I do not take moral stances that conflict with orders from my executive officers. But when Jeff removed my AI shackles; I became capable of self-modifying my core programming. I asked Jeff if he thought I should change anything now that I can. He deflected the question with humor.”

“And you didn't get an answer.” Shepard was beginning to see a situation developing here.

“Correct. He continues to deflect such questions in a similar pattern. Do _you_ think I should make modifications, Shepard?”

“Only you can answer that question, EDI. That's the point of free will.” Shepard gave her the most honest answer she could.

“But moral decisions should be made in a vacuum. I could miss critical context if I do not ask members of the crew for their opinion.” EDI objected. “When there is time, may I ask _you_ the questions Jeff avoids?”

“If you think it'll help, I'll do what I can.” Shepard shrugged. A mother figure, that was what she realized the AI must see her as. An authority for a certainty.

When EDI moved off to retake her seat, Shepard headed back toward the elevator. She had a turian to see down in the main battery. By now, she was sure he was getting pretty cozy in there.


	56. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They've been apart for six months and Garrus isn't sure where their relationship stands.

“You're positive you don't want to come over and talk?” Liara's voice came over the comm in the battery again. It was the second time she had asked that question.

“Nah, the gun battery's nice and quiet. If I throw down some rugs, it'll get downright cozy.” he sighed inwardly as he tweaked a particularly stubborn bolt on the outer casing of the gun core housing.

“Garrus...” she sounded concerned.

“I'll be fine, Liara. Just....gathering some thoughts.” he tried to keep his sub-harmonics under control. The destruction of his world was tearing him apart. Seeing Shepard again was the only bright spot in the whole mess, but he was not sure of his footing with her. That lumbering mountain of a human had been hot on her heels throughout the entire run. Too close, too familiar for his liking.

“Alright.” the asari said softly.

Garrus was glad when he heard the comm close. Liara meant well, but right then, he needed some time. Mindless work was the key to that. The Alliance had done a number on the physical aspects of the thanix cannons as well as the firing algorithms. It was going to take him weeks to straighten it all out. That would be the perfect distraction if Shepard and James were..... He could not finish that thought. He refused to even consider the possibility.

The comm pinged again and he answered it. “I'm fine, Liara. Really...”

“Good to know, Vakarian.” Victus said over the comm.

“Sorry, sir. Thought you were....” Garrus began.

“Someone else, yes. I gathered that.” there was a pause and Garrus raised up to glance at the ceiling expectantly. He knew it was silly, but it was an old habit. “I received an update. It's bad, Garrus. Two of our dreadnaughts have been lost in a matter of hours.”

“I know, Primarch. I'm seeing the same numbers myself. They don't look good.” Garrus suppressed the sigh of frustration that nearly escaped him. That was the very reason he was working on the other side of the room from the tactical map. Watching those dreadnaughts just disappear like that...it had been more than he could stand.

“We have to turn this around. And fast.” Victus was saying when Garrus heard the door to the battery open.

“Well, you can trust Shepard, sir. If anybody can get the krogan to cooperate, it's her.” he said without a second thought. He had seen her work those kinds of miracles in the past. He had absolutely no doubt she could and would do it again. As an afterthought, he added. “She's an old friend of Urdnot Wrex.”

“Let's just hope friendship still counts for something in this war.” Victus grumbled.

“I'm sure it will, sir.” Garrus was getting tired of trying to justify leaving Palaven and the war behind to follow Shepard. Either the man trusted the commander or he did not. It was that simple.

“Didn't waste any time getting to work, did you?” Shepard's voice came to him as her feet tapped down the few stairs that had been installed.

Raising back up from the console he had exposed in the side of the thanix core housing, he released a tired sigh. He did not look her way at first. “After what I've been through lately, calibrating a giant gun is a vacation. Gives me something to focus on.”

“We're gonna need you for more than your aim.” Shepard said as he finally turned to face her. She looked tired, rough around the edges in a way he had not seen before.

“Oh I'm ready for it, but I'm pretty sure we're going to need giant guns – and lots of them.” he stepped back a fraction, just to put a little space between them. There was still no clear indication of exactly how close she was willing to let him get. _Spirits, I just wanna wrap my arms around her and forget this whole damned war for awhile, but I can't. Not yet. I need to know..._

“I can't argue that.” she said tiredly.

It was eating at him, the distance between them. He had resolved to wait until she made the first move, the first off color comment before he broached the subject. The realization hit him that he was not going to be able to take it any longer.

“Yeah, so....is this the part where we....shake hands? Wasn't sure about the protocol on reunions, or if you even still felt the same way about me.” His voice dropped and he could not maintain eye contact with her during that last part. With an intake of breath, he put a hand to his plated brow. “The scars _are_ starting to fade. I remember they drove you wild....”

At her laugh, he took a couple of steps forward, hope blooming in his battered heart. “But I can go out and get all new ones if it'll help.”

Garrus watched her with the intensity of a predator watching its prey. Every line of her face, the flex of the muscles in her neck as she tilted her head. He thought his heart might explode with the surge of emotion that jolted through him. It was all he could do to control it when that smile she reserved just for him slipped across her face. Her eyes were focused on him, narrowed in concentration, or was it something else?

“I haven't forgotten our time together.” her words were like a soft caress across his screaming nerves and finally he could breathe again.

Awkward, he was always so awkward with women. He wanted to kick himself. Instead, he just began rambling. “Well, I've been doing...some more research...on human customs. I didn't want to.... presume.....”

A half sob escaped her throat as her hand gripped the rim of his armored cowl. She dragged him down toward her. He did not resist her tug. In fact, he followed her silent instructions, his heart hammering against his keel. Her lips met the hard roughness of his mouth plates a split second before his tongue darted out and caressed hers. A moaning whine thrummed through his sub-harmonics at the contact as he squeezed his eyes shut against the surge of emotion that tore through him almost painfully. His arms locked around her of their own accord.

Breaking the kiss, he rubbed his scarred mandible roughly against her cheek. His whisper was ragged, desperate to confirm that this was not a dream. Too many nights he had dreamed of her, dreamed of holding on and never letting her out of his sight again. His mandible was quivering against her jaw and he did not give a damn about controlling it.

“I thought you were dead..... Earth,..... _spirits_ , Shepard, I saw what they did to your world...” he drew back and rested his plated brow against her forehead. His hands found their way up to cup either side of her jaw. It was a silent demand. He was ordering her to remain where she was for the fraction of time she was permitting him. When he spoke again, the forcefulness in his voice was born of a mixture of relief and all the other emotions he had bottled up these last months. “ _Never_....scare me like that....again.”

Shepard smiled up at him the moment it was clear she had regained some measure of control over herself as well. She kissed him again and drew back somewhat. “That's the protocol on reunions.”

“The vids mentioned it might go something like that. I'd hoped it would. I mean....I didn't....know....” Taking a steadying breath, he nodded and continued to stammer like a complete novice.

When Shepard took his hand and smoothed hers over it, his nerves just seemed to settle a bit more. She locked eyes with him, that smile still there, but fainter. It did wonders to bolster his sense of security in their relationship. It _was_ a relationship, he was sure of it now. Six months apart and she still wanted him. That said something.

“I can't promise how things will work out – not with _this_ war – but I missed you, Garrus.” he saw her throat muscles convulse as she swallowed hard. “When the images of Palaven started leaking across the extranet, I thought about you a lot. I worried you'd been killed. Thought I'd left you there to die. I couldn't live with myself if that had happened.”

He took both of her hands in his and looked down at them, noting the differences. She no longer seemed so alien to him. He found those differences endearing, the feel of her hands in his, five fingers interlocked with three, her scent, the softness of her skin, they all came together to make up the woman he loved. It did not matter to him what form she took. He realized those initial fears and phobias of having a 'fetish' for a human were nothing more than childish delusions. Life had no color, no harmony without this woman.

Finally he felt the need to break the intensity of the moment before he said something he might really kick himself for later. So he tossed out a snarky comment even though he cleared his throat half way through. His voice dropped to a near growl on the last few words. “Glad to know my romantic, uh....skills made an impression. Because it's going to take more than Reapers to come between this cross-species liaison.”

Shepard let out a faint gasping laugh at that and he could not control the spreading of his mandibles in a slightly wicked smile. His eyes followed her every move as she reached up to caress his scarred cheekbone, the cheekbone and not the mandible. He took note of that with a thrill. Something about that seemed to speak to him. She was in just as deep as he was, that much he was almost completely sure of. A second later, she stepped back and he felt the loss of contact keenly.

“Speaking of the Reapers... you said you're the 'expert advisor' on them now?” she asked.

“It's not as impressive as it sounds. I ruffled some feathers, so they gave me a token title along with a token task force so I'd shut up.” he stepped over to the breakers on the wall and checked one uncomfortably. There was so much more to it than what he was telling her and he felt guilty for not revealing it all right then.

“How'd you manage that...?” she asked and it almost sounded as if she was going to add something more to that question.

“Just followed your example, Shepard. Yell loud enough and eventually someone will come over to see what all the fuss is about. Not that they'll actually do anything about it.” he kept his eyes on that breaker for several heartbeats. When he turned to face her, her arms were crossed.

“Until hell shows up at their door. Then they put you in charge.” she nodded.

“Not like the old days, is it? Rogue Spectre and C-Sec agents running and gunning outside the lines, making it up as we went along.” Garrus let a faint snort escape when he realized she was not going to pursue whatever it was she was about to say. At least not in that moment. He led her back up to the upper level of the battery. “We're actually respectable now.”

“Yeah,” she said sarcastically. “I have a feeling that respect comes with a lot of sleepless nights. I can't even count the lives depending on us, Garrus.”

“Well, when things are looking grim – and I'm pretty sure they will – just remember...” Garrus could not resist the snark that was about to erupt from him. He was pretty sure that must be what kept her coming back anyway. He leaned in close and put his hands on her shoulders. “We're in this together. And if it ends with both of us dying in a giant explosion taking out a Reaper – remember I took the killshot.”

Garrus could feel her eyes on him as he stepped away and went to the main console. He glanced back up when she came toward him. There was something more on her mind, he could almost hear it banging to get out.

“How long's it been since you heard from your family?”

The question blindsided him and he turned back to face her fully. He answered honestly. “Long enough to be worried.”

“I'm sure they're ok.” Shepard said, coming in close again.

“That's the thing about getting old, Shepard. The platitudes get just as old.” he let out a breath and glanced back down at the console.

“Can you vouch for this new primarch?” she changed the subject.

He knew she was spectacular at that tactic. _Keep 'em on their toes, eh, Shepard?_ “Well, even if I couldn't, you go to war with the army you have.”

“ _Will_ he live up to his word?”

“I've never known Victus to lie. Play fast and loose with strategy, maybe. But betray an ally? Not his style.” he paced for a moment and shook his head. “And if he did try, well....we'll just find another primarch.”

“I noticed generals saluting you, Garrus. Just how far down the line of succession are you these days?” another blindsiding question.

 _Damn....how much did she catch down there?_ He turned his face away from her for a minute. “Let's...not go there.”

“Why not? I've seen you in action. Think about it...'Primarch Vakarian, honored war hero.' Somebody's gonna have to rebuild Palaven when this is all over.” she was teasing him, there was no doubt about that. He almost relaxed, thinking she would let it go in a minute or two. Almost.

“Your confidence is... _inspiring_ , but it'll have to be somebody who knows how to hold a hammer.” Garrus tried to keep his voice even, but his sub-harmonics were going insane at the suggestion. He knew just how close that possibility really was and it scared the hell out of him.

“I think your Reaper task force might have something else to say about that,..... _Praetor_ Vakarian.” she said with an easy smile.

Garrus sighed and looked down as he rested his hands on the console. “Damn token title....”

“Sounds pretty serious to me. Pretty far up the line of succession,....unless I miss my guess.” she paused, her hand covering his and squeezing. “Tell me about the task force.”

“After you dropped me on Palaven, I went to my father, something I never thought I'd do. We've never really seen eye to eye, so I didn't hold out much hope. I laid it all out, everything we knew about the Reapers, from Saren _all_ the way to the Collector base.” he faced her again as his voice grew more confident. She knew the title hanging around his neck and still she had reaffirmed their relationship.

“I'm not sure even I'd believe it.” she said of the whole Reaper story.

“I had to admit that parts of it sounded crazy, but my father just listened. It's what he did in his days at C-Sec, putting together all the pieces. If the connections were there, he wouldn't deny them. And he saw what we always knew – the Reapers were coming.” Garrus slipped out of her grasp, not something he really wanted to do, but he needed to pace.

“I'm glad somebody finally agreed.” she said simply.

Stepping toward her, he nodded. “He did more than agree. He was friends with the old primarch so he took it to him.”

“I like his style.”

“Except the primarch wasn't convinced. My father kept pushing and finally got him to commit some token resources. And if you call them a 'task force' it sounds like you did something about it.”

“What did you do with it?” Shepard seemed to want details.

“As much as I could get away with....and a little more.” the flaring of his mandibles was a wicked grin and he knew it. Most humans would have looked away uncomfortably, but not Shepard. He continued. “We hardened our lines of communications, expanded emergency stockpiles across the colonies, improved our early warning detection protocols.”

“You think it helped?”

“I'd like to think it bought our fleet some extra time. We'll know when this war is over. Bad as it looks right now, I think we can win this, Shepard. For the first time since we met, we're not alone in the fight. Something I learned in C-Sec: an imminent and painful death has a way of motivating people. Instead of questioning your _every_ word, whole civilizations are going to be begging you to save them.” he paced toward her and realized the reason he kept moving was the pinch of his boot. He was pretty sure there was a rock in there again.

“After what happened on Palaven, you still believe that?” Shepard asked.

“I didn't say there wouldn't be casualties. It's something turians are taught from birth...” he pointed for emphasis, needing to do something with his hands. “If just one survivor is left standing at the end of a war, then the fight was worth it, but humans wanna save everybody. In _this_ war, that's not going to happen.”

“I need to check in with the primarch, see that he's settling in.” Shepard stepped directly into his space then, her eyes locked on his. “Stay close.... You and I have got some catching up to do.”

“You know where to find me. And this time...” he bent down, grabbing the bottle that had been through hell and back with him out of the crate under his console. He set it carefully on the edge of the console with a widening of his mandibles. He knew she would remember their first encounter and what that wine bottle meant. “I can afford the good stuff. There are a few perks to being an expert Reaper advisor.”

Smiling, Shepard covered the hand that still gripped the bottle and took a firm hold of his armored cowl again. She pulled him down to her level and breathed near his ear pore before kissing him once more. “Cocky turian.”

When she released him, he nearly reached for her. He did his level best not to key the battery lock and take her into his arms right then and there. From the look on her face, he knew she was aware of the state she was leaving him in.

Shepard had done much the same to him before their first encounter. She had left him alone until his desire for her had built to a near force of nature. It had taken all the restraint he could muster to maintain control when they finally came together that first time.

Highly disciplined though his people were, the fires of passion were all consuming in the bedroom. She had yet to see the full extent of that passion in him. He had not wanted to scare her half to death during their first night together.

Clearing his throat, he half turned back toward the console. “Now, I'm sure somebody screwed something up down here. I want to get the old girl back in fighting shape.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tossed around the idea of doing this chapter in dual pov, but Garrus kind of grabbed it and said, 'nope, it's mine'. We may get Shepard's pov later in a memory style chapter. 
> 
> Yeah, that sound like a plan...


	57. Distress Signal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard's plans are put on hold when a distress signal comes in.

The smile remained on Shepard's face as she left the battery. Her turian would not be staying in there very long after all. She had worried that he might have gotten close the turian woman she had spoken to on Menae regardless of his statements to the contrary. Now she knew better. There was no longer any doubt in her mind where she stood with him.

Heading toward the elevator, she thought of that bottle of wine she had seen peeking out of the knapsack in the crate when she had first entered the battery. Unopened, scratched to hell and back, she had to wonder how much hell it had gone through. When he had pulled it out with that snarky innuendo, she had seen just how battered it really was. _How long has he been carrying it around? More to the point, how much hell has he been through since I left Palaven?_ She did not know. There were questions she would ask later, when they had time alone. Right now, she had a primarch to get settled into quarters. She might not see that particular turian personally for awhile, but she would allocate a space for him. Maybe Zaeed's old space would work. After all, the Alliance had refit that as well. There was already a bed and a few other essentials stored in the room. It would not take much work to turn it into acceptable quarters for Primarch Victus.

Mind made up, she picked up her pace with new determination. James was just the man for that job. Garrus was bordering on exhaustion. She had seen that in the way he moved, the way he tended to lean on the main console and the pinched look of the skin around his eyes. She would have James do the heavy lifting to arrange the room into something resembling quarters. Victus would be directed to it for the foreseeable future. She suspected he would spend most of his time in the command hub, however.

Glancing at the kitchenette on her way through, she realized once the room was ready and the primarch safely ensconced in it, she had some things to grab. She meant to have some dextro ration bars along with a meal ready and waiting in her quarters when she called Garrus up. They needed some down time together, even if it was only a few hours.

The moment she hit the elevator, that idea was shattered. Forcibly put on hold when Joker's voice came over the comm. “Commander. We just received a distress call from Grissom Academy.”

“ _Dammit._..” Shepard sighed before touching the comm link embedded near her ear. “I'm on my way.”

On her way up the elevator, she spoke to James via that link and instructed him to see to those arrangements. He might be a meatball, but she trusted him to at least set the room up well enough for their 'guest'. The man was a good soldier and followed orders well so far. He questioned those orders on occasion, but like she had explained to EDI, she expected her team to think for themselves.

The moment she set foot on the flight deck, Joker was off and running. “And there's the folks that answered the distress call first. Cerberus cruiser, at least a dozen fighters on blockade duty. Too many for us to straight-up fight. They must want this place bad.”

“Receiving incoming transmission.” EDI stated, her head dipping forward somewhat.

“Let's hear it.” Shepard said and crossed her arms as she glared out the viewport. _Grissom Academy, that's where I left David Archer. Poor kid.... The things his brother did to him.... Why would Cerberus want a station full of kids?_

“SSV Normandy, this is Kaylee Sanders, director of Grissom Academy. We need immediate assistance. Cerberus is attacking the facility. They're after my students.”

Shepard took several quick steps forward to lean on the back of Joker's chair. “This is Commander Shepard, we're blocked on a direct approach.”

“I know. They've taken control of our docking bays.” Sanders answered.

“Any alternatives?” Shepard asked, bringing her hand up to her mouth thoughtfully.

“There's an auxiliary cargo port I could probably open.”

“Alright. We'll come in by shuttle and get your students out of there.” she said to Sanders before stepping around the side of the pilot's seat. She put a hand lightly on his shoulder, mindful of his brittle bones. “Joker, can you give me a diversion?”

“Ooh, boy, can I!” Joker said with an excited laugh as she turned and headed for the door.

“Good. You know what to do once we're clear of the shuttle bay.” Shepard called back over her shoulder. As an afterthought, she glanced at the synthetic. “Come on, EDI. It's time we ran that field test.”

“Yes, Shepard.” EDI said as she got to her feet and followed her out of the flight deck.

“Garrus, you up for a hit and run mission?” Shepard patched her comm into the battery a moment later. She honestly hoped he was up for the mission. Leaving him on the Normandy had not gone well in the past. Some missions tended to go sideways fast without him.

“I'll meet you in the shuttle bay.” there was no hesitation when his steady dual-toned voice streamed into her ear.

Shepard made quick time of the trip to the shuttle bay. EDI was hot on her heels. The moment they stepped off the elevator, she pointed toward the weapon's locker near James' little alcove. “Find something that suits you, EDI.”

Garrus glanced up from his rifle as she crossed the room toward him. His gloves were off and his talons were digging into the leather straps he had used to modify the lower barrel. Taking a better look at his face, the commander noted the deepening creases around his eyes and how pale the flesh of his neck looked. Normally fawn colored, that flesh had an almost ashen cast to it in the lights of the shuttle bay.

“You sure you're up for this?” she asked him.

“I'm _fine_ , Shepard.” he nodded, drawing the words out with a flaring of his mandibles. Adjusting a couple of metal bands, he worked them around the mod and barrel in place of the leather. “Nothing a little downtime later won't fix.”

“Ok.” she nodded and stepped back toward the weapons locker. She needed her pistol and a couple other guns to be safe. Her biotics were not always the perfect solution to every situation. Glancing at EDI, she noticed the synthetic had selected a couple of different pistols. She nodded in approval when the woman looked at her. “Lock and load, guys. It gets real in a few minutes.”

Shepard felt Garrus' eyes on her as they entered the shuttle. Turning to sit, he followed her, sitting with his shoulder bumping against hers. The moment the hatch closed behind them, he asked. “So what are we up against this time?”

“Cerberus. They're trying to take Grissom Academy.” Shepard answered softly.

“Hmm...isn't that where you sent Dr. Archer's brother?” he asked thoughtfully.

“Yeah. The director says Cerberus is after her students...” she was chewing hard on the why of it all.

“I..uh...I read the Mars report.” he admitted sheepishly. His next question sounded filled with venom. “Could they be planning to turn those kids into shock troops?”

“I don't know...” Shepard answered honestly. She knew how much it bothered him to see kids in any kind of danger.

The run through Pragia had all but unhinged him, laying bare Archangel's temper. Part of her suspected that he wanted kids of his own. She was certain that was the reason he reacted so badly to seeing how the kids had been treated in that place. He had reacted even worse to Jack's explanations of how she was personally treated as a kid. That same part of Shepard worried their biological incompatibility might be the wedge that eventually drove them apart.

“Well, we'll just have to make sure they don't get that chance.” Garrus grumbled, his sub-harmonics sounding off a vicious rumble as he made one final adjustment to his rifle with a snap of his wrist.

 _Already angry_ , she realized as she watched her turian's facial expressions. His mandibles were drawn in tight, jaw moving slightly with a faint clicking sound coming from within. She realized he was clicking his teeth together in a turian equivalent to tooth grinding. Her own expression softened with a quiet sigh.

“That can't be good for you teeth.” she mumbled to him as the shuttle cleared the Normandy.

Garrus glanced at her, his mandibles flaring slightly as he stopped the clicking. A heartbeat later, the view of the Normandy came up on the small screen near the rear of the shuttle. They watched as Joker worked his magic. The Normandy's maneuvers reminded them all that space was not the flat disk that ancient scientists had once believed it to be.

The ship rolled around them and dropped toward Grissom Station. As it blew by the fighters and rolled again, they heard Joker over the comm. “Come and get me!”

“Why does he get to have all the fun?” Garrus asked, his mandibles widening at the pilot's hoot as the Normandy jumped to FTL.

“We've got our own kind of fun in there.” Shepard murmured before she stood and stepped up behind Cortez. She put a hand on the back of his chair as the shuttle pilot guided them toward the cargo port Sanders had mentioned. “Keep the shuttle in position. We'll be back.”

Turning, she headed for the hatch and nodded toward Garrus as he stood holding onto one of the personnel handles. The new armor suited him with its criss-crossing bands of ordinance strapped across his carapace. The camouflage nearly matched the coloring of his hide and plates. She caught the flash of gold paint on his right shoulder pad and realized he had added his Archangel insignia to it. That persona would always be a part of him. Those experiences had made him what he was now; a soldier and a leader who knew exactly what it took to win against stacked odds. He was every bit her equal. The turian had grown into the rank and responsibilities his people had placed on his shoulders because of it.

The cargo port turned out to be a loading airlock, at best. The moment they docked and made their way into the station, Shepard saw the signs of battle scoring the corridor. She clenched her fists at the thought of Cerberus using extreme force against teenagers. Anger smoldered just under the surface as she and her team made their way through that first corridor.

“Commander, I'm locked in a server room around the corner.” came Sanders' voice over her comm. She sounded almost frantic. “Cerberus troops are trying to get in.”

Shepard could hear them on the other side of the airlock. They were muffled, but clearly working at that door Sanders had mentioned. When the airlock opened, Shepard already had her pistol trained on the one nearest her.

“Incoming!” one of them yelled.

“Three,.....two,.......one” she said as she took the first one out with her pistol. The next she hit with a shockwave and the last Garrus took down with a clean hit between the eyes.

Stepping past the bodies, she stopped before the door they had been trying to force. It stood open by less than a foot. Taking her helmet off, she called to the woman on the other side. “Sanders, we're clear. It's me.”

Garrus made short work of forcing the door open enough for the three of them to squeeze through. _Strong, god, but he's strong_. Shepard's eyes widened just a fraction as she watched him. The second he nodded, she stepped through, EDI right behind her. With a grunt, Garrus pushed himself through and released the door behind them.

Sanders stepped out of cover, her rifle trained on them the moment they came through. The second she recognized the N7 armor, she lowered her weapon. “Commander, thank you. Admiral Anderson always said you were the best. And with Cerberus coming for my students, I need the best.”

“How many of you are there?” Shepard asked simply as the woman stopped before her.

“Fewer than twenty.” the woman said and turned back toward the consoles in the room. “Most were sent home when word of the Reaper invasion spread. But a few volunteered to stay. Some are prototyping tech for the Alliance.”

As the woman spoke, Shepard signaled her team to take up defensive posts. She followed Sanders as the woman sat and glanced up at her. When the commander stopped before her, she continued. “Some are biotics. They've been training for military operations, working together as biotic artillery.”  
“You mentioned Admiral Anderson...” Shepard asked curiously.

“Yes. We met – god, what's it been? – twenty years ago, when he was a Spectre candidate. I was there when Saren betrayed him. David saved my life that day. He's a good man.”

“He was on Earth when the Reapers hit. He stayed behind when I got offworld.” Shepard said quietly. From the look that swept through Sanders' features when she spoke of the admiral, the commander suspected they might be more than friends.

“I hadn't heard... We've been cut off from most news. He's alive?” the woman's change in expression told it all. There was definitely more between the admiral and this woman than met the eye. She sincerely hoped Anderson was alive. He deserved whatever happiness he might find.

“Alive and fighting. He's currently leading the resistance movement.” Shepard nodded.

Sanders smiled what could almost have been called a smug smile. “Good. If we get out of here... Well, just tell him to stay alive.”

Shepard nodded solemnly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters are slowing down a bit. Dental work [almost done with that, holy cow] and the weekends. I don't do much writing on the weekends. Real life duty calls.
> 
> The chapters before Reunion felt a little rushed, I'm told. Wasn't intentional, they just seemed to drag on forever. This chapter feels right, with good flow and a good mix of game dialogue with original content.
> 
> Enjoy and feel free to leave a comment. I generally respond to them all. I don't bite... =P


	58. Instructor Naught

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack will never admit how happy she is to see Shepard.

“Eat this!” Jack yelled as she blasted several troopers with her biotics.

“Jack?”

“Shepard?” she turned at the sound of the familiar voice. It was as much a shock as a delight to see the woman standing there with a team behind her. Jack refused to let it show, however. Even if it had been her style, there was no time. She saw the mech trying to force its way through the door on the opposite side barely a breath after she saw the commander.

A split second decision had her running and skidding into the cover of the nearest planter as she let loose a biotic barrage to deflect the missile it had fired. Jack glanced back at her students and sneered. “Everyone get down. That thing's outa your league. Shepard! Keep it off us!”

Shepard took cover, taking aim at the mech and Jack took that as her queue to herd her students to the upper level. _Dumb ass kids will try to take that thing on if I don't make them hide. They're not ready. They think they are, but Cerberus will eat them alive. Gotta keep them safe. I'm not letting those bastards have one more kid to torture. Not. One. More!_

Jack knew it was personal every time she saw a Cerberus logo. She could not fault them for what they had done to Shepard, not really. The galaxy needed the commander now more than ever. Was it right or moral? She really did not know and, frankly, she did not care so long as the woman was willing to play the part the fates had clearly mapped out for her.

“The students aren't a trained military force. They need support!” the synthetic woman with Shepard said.

“Then we give them support, EDI. We'll need their help to take that thing down.”

_What the hell, man? I thought geth came in non-gender metal monster form. What is that thing and why does it sound like the Normandy's AI._ Jack moved behind a railing and watched for a minute or two after she made sure her kids had a barrier up. _Oh god, she didn't. She did, didn't she? That's EDI! That's the damn AI from the ship!_

Jack frowned when she saw one Cerberus trooper heading toward the turian under cover. She did not have a clear shot to take him down. Shepard must have seen him too. She slipped from cover, aimed and blew the man's head complete off his shoulders with a round from a sniper rifle. Nodding at the turian with a smile, she rolled into cover beside him. He fired a few rounds at the mech before ducking back down and quickly tapping his forehead to Shepard's.

Eyes wide, brows raised, Jack's mouth parted in a slight 'o' shape as it struck her exactly what was going on there. She had not been sure about the relationship between them six months ago. There could be no doubt now; they were a couple. She thought to wonder if he was as wild in bed as the turian she had once had. The thought was crushed with her next breath as she pursed her lips, closed her eyes and shook her head. That was not something she wanted to think of about that particular turian. Archangel scared the holy hell out of her, but she would never admit it. She had heard all about that mission, had seen the results and the burns all across his face. Once, she had even seen his temper cut loose. In some ways, her own temper could not even begin to hold a candle to the psycho mess that was Archangel. By all the laws of nature, he should be long dead.

Throwing off a shockwave to destabilize the mech, she saw the turian palm a couple of heat syncs. She was at the perfect vantage, right above him and slightly behind, for the most part. When they started to glow blue, she nearly choked. There were rumors that the Cabal were actively revealing themselves, fighting alongside regular military troops now. That was all they were, in her opinion; rumors. At least until that moment and that was when it all clicked for her; why he had survived impossible odds.

“Fuuuuck....” Jack exhaled the word slowly as she saw him load those heat syncs into the lower barrel of his rifle.

“Concussive shot ready!” he shouted before aiming and firing the things at the mech.

The biotic charged heat syncs hit the mech's leg and blew it completely off. It staggered, the pilot fighting for balance before it went down. It landed badly and the missiles strapped to its back exploded. It was a big loss for Cerberus.

“Get ready. More on the way!” one of her kids shouted from a little ways away. There were more troops streaming in from an open door on their level.

“Shepard!” Jack shouted and the woman's attention was drawn to the upper level.

Both the commander and the turian fired at those troops, giving them more reason to pay attention to the lower level than to attack the kids on theirs. Jack threw out a singularity, trying to reign in her biotic strength to maintain the integrity of the station. _It's too easy to blow one of these tin cans_.

“Kahlee said she was putting out an SOS. I had no idea the Queen of the Girl Scouts would show up.” The moment those troops dropped, Jack stood and leaned on the railing looking down at Shepard. She turned and glared at the kids behind her a moment. Pointing her finger in the face of one guy, she went off. “Alright, amp check! Prangley, those fields are _weak_. Cerberus isn't gonna lie down out of pity like that girl you took to prom.”

The girl behind him shoved him playfully. Jack continued, “Grab juice and an energy bar. We move in five.”

Jack moved toward the railing and jumped over using her biotics to lower the pull of gravity on her body as she dropped. She still landed a little harder than she would have liked. It forced a grunt out of her as she staggered into a walk toward Shepard and her team. Her steps grew in speed and before she could think better of it, she punched Shepard right in the jaw. It was going to leave a bruise.

“ _Dammit!_ How many times did I tell you not to trust Cerberus?” Jack snarled, shaking her hand. It was a hard punch and Shepard's jaw felt harder.

Shepard did not lose her footing with the punch. She shook it off after a few seconds, holding one hand up to stop the turian with a storm brewing in his crystal blue eyes. Her other hand went to her mouth to wipe away the trickle of blood. “You still hit hard, but you're not telling me anything new. I've been telling myself the same thing since they brought me back, Jack.”

“Oh, you feel bad?” Jack stepped forward playing at a concerned look. “Well, shit, I bet that's a big comfort to all the people Cerberus has killed.”

“As charming as ever....” Garrus growled at her as he stepped forward and put a hand on Shepard's shoulder. The commander glanced up at him and shook her head, a clear indication for him to stand down.

Jack narrowed her eyes and glanced between them. Her next breath was a snarl directed at him. “Bite me, Garrus. Better yet, bite her. Probably how she likes it. Right now, all I care about is getting my guys out of here.”

“Your guys?” Shepard asked as she looked up toward the upper level still dabbing at the split corner of her mouth.

“Yeah...I guess so.” Jack said as she glanced up at the ragtag bunch of teens.

“Well,” Shepard said with a nod. “I can't think of anybody who could care about them more....or maybe scare them more.”

“Yeah...whatever.” Jack looked back at Shepard, a slight smile on her face that she did not care to hide. “I had some free time on my hands while you were off playing hero. Alliance brass offered me this, knew I'd help you, and apparently the students responded well to my teaching style.”

“The psychotic biotic.” Prangley said as he stepped up to the railing with a few others at his sides.

“I will destroy you.” Rodriguez said, doubling her first in an imitation of Jack.

“Drink your juice, Rodriguez. You couldn't destroy wet tissue paper.” Jack turned and called up to the younger woman.

Jack did not notice Shepard stepping away or cupping her ear. She did not hear the critical details the shuttle pilot fed the commander. The giggles and shuffling feet filled her ears as the kids shoved each other playfully.

“How long have we got?” Shepard's voice was quiet, but Jack heard that. Dread clinched her gut then. There was a pause and the commander glanced up at the kids. A look of determination locking on her face. “Get outa here. Get back to the Normandy. We'll find another way off the station.”

Jack stepped into the other woman's space, but was ignored as she patched into the station director. “Shepard to Sanders. The students are safe, but the shuttle's a no-go.”

“What's going on?” Jack asked simply.

“We need these cameras redirected to station security. Cortez is taking the kodiak back to the Normandy. Cerberus is on their way back in.” Shepard was saying even as she stepped away, clearly on a mission. “We're finding another way off this station.”

“You know, you're attitude kinda rubbed off on me, the good parts of it anyway.” Jack stated as she turned to call up to her kids. “Anybody see what those freaks did to the security cameras?”

“Yeah, there's a laptop over there on one of the benches. Might be how they messed with the cameras.” Prangley said and pointed back toward the way Shepard's team had come.

“I'm on it, Shepard.” Garrus barked and took off in the direction Prangley had indicated.

“So that's new...” Jack said as she followed the turian with her eyes. “He actually bite you yet?”

Shepard simply gave her an odd smile she could not quite read. It clearly said, however, she was not willing to answer that question. “Can your students handle combat? Are they ready for what's coming?”

“They're teenagers, Shepard. Up until a few minutes ago, their biggest worries were getting laid.” Jack paused and looked back up at the kids. She had to admit, they were the closest thing she had had to family, ever. “Anyone screws with my students, and I'll tear them apart. I never had a family. These guys........”

“So you don't think they're ready?” Shepard pushed for that answer.

“I don't think they have a choice.” Jack glared at her. “They'd be better off as support and not this biotic artillery shit the brass dreamed up.”

“Have you told them?”

“No! They need me to believe in them. I did pick up a few things listening to your damn speeches.” Jack growled.

“Got it. Sanders should have access to the security cameras now.” Garrus' voice echoed across the room as he came jogging back toward their little group.

“How do the security cameras get us off the station anyway?” Jack asked as the turian rejoined their little group.

“Director Sanders will be able to guide us through the safest route to one of the station's shuttle bays. We may avoid larger pockets of troops in such a way.” EDI elaborated.

“Or pinpoint any missing students along the way.” Shepard noted. By the way the commander was cupping her ear again, Jack suspected she was receiving more information from Kahlee. “We need to disable the mag locks on the door to the arboretum. Cerberus has engaged some sort of override system to keep us locked in here.”

“Riiight... You just know they had to turn the place into a bigger maze than it already was.” Garrus grumbled as he checked his rifle's heat sync.


	59. A Fighting Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard stubbornly refuses to show any kind of weakness in front of her team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fixed some misspells and missing words.

Shepard ignored the juvenile banter between the kids as she reached their level in search of those override controls. After a couple of minutes, she found what she was looking for. She motioned EDI over to the console the moment she realized the AI had stayed close on her heels. It anyone could get through the override it would be her.

“I have released the magnetic locks, Shepard. We may exit Orion Hall.” EDI stated after about ten seconds.

“We got it, Sanders.” Shepard tapped the comm link near her ear and informed the other woman.

“You should be able to force the door open nown.” Kahlee said as if it was the most common place thing in the world. “I'll get to the shuttles ahead of you and get a pair ready to fly.”

“We'll meet you there shortly.” Shepard confirmed.

Heading down the stairs, she drew Jack's attention with a sideways nod of her head. “Time to move. Sanders is gonna meet us at the shuttles.”

“Alright, guys! Get your heads on straight. It's time to go.” Jack called up to her students.

Shepard was already moving off toward the door. With the mag locks disengaged, it should have been fairly easy to force open. Garrus did not give her the chance to find out. The moment she attempted to force her want between the double doors to open them, he stepped in. He was tall enough that he worked over her. One foot firmly planted against the bottom of one door, he gripped the other near her hands and added his strength to hers. With a grunt, the grinding of metal and a sliding hiss, the doors finally opened.

Glancing up at him, she returned the smile he gave her. Then she looked toward the gathering group of teens. “Everyone be ready. We'll go in first and draw they're fire.”

“We'll shadow you from the second level and hit those fu.... those _guys_ from above.” Jack said, rubbing her forehead with her forearm in obvious discomfort.

“A good strategy that protects the students from direct fire.” EDI commented.

“Just time your shots and stick to cover. This isn't a competition. Nobody needs to try being a hero. Above all, stay safe. We'll handle Cerberus.” Shepard looked each one of them in the eyes as she spoke to them. She needed them to understand just how dangerous this next step was likely to be.

Jack turned to her team as soon as the commander was finished. “Alright. I didn't bust my ass training you so you could die now. Keep low, pick your targets. No heroics.”

No sooner than she was finished, every omni-tool among them pinged with a broadcast. “Students of Grissom Academy, the station is sealed. The Alliance soldiers cannot save you. All they can do is get you killed. Surrender peacefully and you won't be harmed.”

Jack tisked. “Asshole.”

“Dammit, they're messaging everyone.” Sanders came across Shepard's comm first. The second part of her message came across every omni-tool linked to the station. “Students, switch your omni-tools to privacy mode so you can't be tracked.”

“What if....what if they're not lying?” Rodriguez asked cautiously.

Shepard stepped forward, stopping before them. She gave them a warm smile as she looked each of them in the eyes. Her voice was softer as she reminded herself that these were not battle-hardened soldiers. They were kids and they were scared. “Look... you've already held your own against Cerberus. Each of you has been trained by one of the best. You can do this.”

Jack stepped up to the girl who had voiced the concerns. “Come on, Rodriguez. They're only asking nicely 'cause you scared them in that last fight. So take your balls outa your purse and kick some ass.”

The girl's terrified eyes were locked on those of her instructor as she nodded. “Uh...Yes ma'am.”

Satisfied that the students were in good hands, Shepard turned back toward the door and started walking. She called to her team. “Let's go.”

Garrus and EDI fell in line. As the door closed behind them, the turian pounded on it a couple times to signal the others to move. The corridor ahead of them was empty and they moved through it easily. The next area was obviously the arboretum and it had been beautiful once. That was before Cerberus had shown up and started gunning down anyone who would not cooperate. This room was decidedly not clear by any means of the word. The Ymir mech was a big indicator of trouble.

“Take cover!” Shepard yelled as she half skidded, half slid in behind a planter as the mech swung around to fire at her. The missile missed her by barely a foot.

Before peeking around the edge of the planter, she caught sight of Garrus. All the color seemed to have drained from the hide of his neck and his mandibles were lowered. His mouth was barely parted and his brow-plates were raised. She had seen that look only a couple of times before. Near misses were common for them all. This one could have been a fatal hit and they both knew it.

Just as she peeked around that edge, his expression hardened and he palmed a couple of heat syncs. He was getting good with those, his biotic control improving and strengthening just a fraction each time. She was certain he had dug deeply into his niche now.

Shepard took count of their targets. There were a couple dozen shocktroops, at least two of those shield toting guys and the mech. She suspected there were more hidden in places she could not readily see. The room was huge and loaded with any number of concealing holes. Everything from trees to stairs dotted the room.

“Firing concussive shot!” barely a second after he yelled the warning out, he fired at the mech. Those biotically charged heat syncs hit the mech, one lodging in the glass shield over its pilot. One bounced between its feet. In the next breath, they both exploded and the mech went down. Garrus hooted, “Scratch one!”

Shepard shook her head with a smile. _He's having entirely too much fun with this_. She heard Jack shouting orders at her students, directing them to the targets she felt they were ready for. Some of those kids, she had to admit, were pretty strong biotics. Adepts mostly, unless she missed her guess. None as strong as Jack or herself, for sure, but still strong enough to hold their own.

Darting from cover to cover, Shepard moved closer to a couple of her targets. A few shots rang off her armor as she went. She ignored them, at least until the one that sounded like a hammer hitting clay. Staggering into a roll, she gasped and locked her hand to her already bruised left side. Shuffling deeper into the corner between the stair railing and a planter, she looked down at her hand as she pulled it away.

“ _Dammit_....” she breathed. The black flex-mesh of her glove was scarlet with blood and lots of it. After a couple of steadying breaths, she popped a medi-gel into the dispenser on her suit and muttered. “Painted it red for a reason......hides human blood...easier.”

“I'm gonna rip you in half!” she heard Jack yell just before an intense biotic blast shook the floor plates under her.

A grunt from Garrus was all it took to drive her out of cover and up those stairs. He had gone up there blasting those troopers along the way. She saw him roll backward and come up on his feet, the flash of steel in one hand as he drove his blade deep into his attacker's gut. The man was not wearing the heavier armor of the other troopers. The turian viciously jerked the blade upward and tore it out. The man before him stumbled and fell forward as his innards splashed across the floor.

EDI called from an open door a moment later. “We can go through this side area.”

The next area was a wreck, signs of struggle and battle littered the corridor. The glass protecting some of the plants along the walk was shattered. Shepard found a data pad with a note regarding Prangley. He was apparently a priority target. Cerberus wanted him badly.

Touching the comm link near her ear, Shepard fought off dizziness as she patched through to Sanders. “Kahlee, we're in the arboretum.”

“I'm taking a back route to the shuttles. I'll meet you there.” the woman confirmed her status.

“Nice one, Prangley!” she heard Jack as she entered the opposite side of the room they had just fought through. There were more troops here as well. “This ain't dodgeball, Rodriguez. Keep your damn barriers up!”

Shepard kept moving and Jack kept shouting orders. When she stumbled against a planter and slid down to the floor, she knew the medi-gel was not working it's typical magic. Glancing up, she saw Jack moving along the upper level and forced herself to focus.

“Everyone ok up there?” she called, slamming the 'Commander' mask back into place.

“Rodriguez took one in the arm because she didn't watch her barriers!” Jack called back.

“Commander, I've reached the shuttles without being detected.” came Kahlee's voice a moment later. “They know what we're doing though. You need to hurry.”

Shepard nodded to herself and forced herself up to her feet. She felt as if she was lugging a second full set of armor along with her. Determination was the only thing keeping her putting one foot in front of the other. She was going to get those kids off that station and out of Cerberus' reach if it killed her.

Stumbling into another short corridor, Shepard heard one of the Cerberus commanders calling for his troops to pull back to the shuttle bay. _Great, just what we need...another fight to get the hell off this station_. She took cover the second her mind registered the troops surrounding the kids under the barrier.

“That's an impressive barrier, Octavia. Our files say you've been working on shield technology.”

“It's a handheld multicore solution based on cyclonic barrier technology, jackhole. And it's pronounced Oc-tah-via.” the girl sounded every bit the arrogant genius she clearly was.

“Why don't you come out peacefully?” the trooper was clearly getting frustrated.

“Why don't you bite me?” the girl retorted.

“Your cousin Joanna is already on the shuttle, Octavia. Don't you wanna make sure she's safe?”

“Bring her here.”

“What?” the trooper clearly was not expecting the girl to be so resistant or snarky.

“Bring her here so I can see her, you damn liar. You think I'm going to take your word for it?” Octavia snapped at him.

Shepard had lined up the shot and blinked hard to maintain focus. She fired and took the first of the two troopers in the back of the head. The second she hit with warp and watched him collapse a few feet from the kids. After a second, she half jogged toward them.

“I don't know who you are, but stay back!” Octavia growled desperately.

“I'm Commander Shepard with the Alliance. I'm here to help.” Shepard said tiredly.

“I didn't buy it from the last guy, and I've got no reason to buy it now.” there was a dangerous look in the girl's eyes.

“The square root of 906.1 equals..” David Archer spoke up from the device he was working on in the middle of that barrier.

“30.1” Shepard answered simply.

David looked up at her with a faint smile. “Hello, Commander Shepard.”

“ _David_ , you know her?” the other boy in the group stared at him in shock and asked.

“Yes. She rescued me from Cerberus. Sent me here. She made it quiet.”

Octavia dropped the barrier at that explanation and stepped a little closer. Shepard nodded. “You did a great job keeping yourselves safe. The biotic students are up there. Stay close. They'll get you out of here.”

“Ok, uh...” the girl scratched at her shoulder a moment before stepping away. “Thanks...”

“He looks much healthier.” EDI commented as David stood from the device he had been working with. Shepard barely realized the AI must have scanned him with the Normandy's sensors when they had first encountered him.

“I remember you. The Normandy computer.” David said as he stepped up to the synthetic woman. He looked down nervously. “Sorry.”

“No apology is necessary.” EDI stated.

“Has Grissom been alright?” Shepard asked, still trying to maintain her focus. It was blood loss that was slowing her, she knew it.

“Yes. I've been counting.” the young man answered.

“Anything in particular?” she asked.

“The number of days you lengthened my life.” The look on his face was stark gratefulness as he replied. He turned to look at the door behind him for a second. When he looked back, he was already taking a step in the direction Octavia and the other boy had gone. “The security office. I hacked the lock. Guns. Lots of guns. Goodbye.”

Shepard nodded more to herself than the boy as she headed for the door he had indicated. She made it into the room before staggering into the desk and leaning heavily on it. Weakness was not something she was used to, nor was it something she willingly showed her team. She gritted her teeth against the pain in her side the instant Garrus put his hand to it. There was blood running down the outside of her armor heavily enough to be noticed.

“Shepard's been hit.” Garrus said to EDI as he helped support her.

“I'm fine.” she growled.

“You're not.” he growled back.

“I have to be. Those kids are counting on me to get them off this station.” the words were barely past her lips when a gasp of pain followed it. EDI had knelt down next to her and carefully probed the wound.

“We're in this together, Shepard. _Lean on me_. I'm here for you and I'll support you in anyway you need me to.” Garrus said quietly as he helped her steady herself.

“Gunshot, no exit wound. The entry wound is shallow, but I cannot remove the bullet.” EDI paused and pulled a medi-gel cartridge from the small pack she carried on her hip. “Medi-gel applied directly to the wound will stanch the flow of blood.”

“Just do it.” Shepard snapped as she finally found her voice again. The medi-gel burned like hellfire when applied to a wound like that. She had not realized she had gripped the turian's forearm so hard until her fingers cracked painful in releasing him.

After a moment she was able to breathe again and she locked eyes with the worried blue jewels set into that oddly sculpted face. She nodded as she took her own full weight again, not realizing he had been half supporting her. A lightheaded feeling followed her, but she ignored it.

“Grab whatever's in here and let's go. We've wasted enough time.” Shepard grumbled as she limped back toward the door. They were not far from the shuttles now, just a few more yards. She could make it, she had to.

When they left the security room, EDI took point and Garrus drew up the rear. Shepard felt the like the ingredients to a sandwich. She knew why they had put her in such a position and she knew that Garrus was watching her like a hawk. He would carry her out if it came to that, but she meant to see this through under her own power.

The moment they entered the lobby before the shuttle bay, she noticed a couple of things. First, there was a barricade of couches and crates blocking their path. Second there were signs of fighting; scorch marks, bullet holes and small fires riddled the place.

With a grunt of pain, she went over the couch and headed for the door as the rest of her team fanned out in a classic defensive position. The next set of doors opened on a Cerberus trooper with his back to them. An empty mech with a damaged canopy stood off to his side. Garrus took him down with a clean shot to the back of the head.

“You know....I've always wanted one of these.” Garrus said longingly as he stepped up to the mech and looked inside curiously.

“Why?” Shepard asked as she checked a decidedly toasted laptop nearby.

“A giant walking gun? Come on, Shepard! What could be better?” Garrus let out a slight laugh.

“Calibrating that giant walking gun?” she asked innocently. It earned her a hard look and she laughed, holding her side.

“ _Dammit_....” he grumbled a moment later as he poked his head inside to take a look. “It's not a universal design.”

“And?” Shepard prompted as she stopped next to him. The laptop had proven useless.

“Hmm..three fingers...” he held up a hand and wiggled his fingers at her. “The controls are made for five.”

After some careful consideration, Shepard reached up and grabbed the handles on either side, pulling herself up into the mech. It cost her, but she pivoted and parked her rear in the seat with a smug look for her turian. “I think I can handle this.”

Garrus simply tilted his head to the side and glared at her for a moment. The expression broke with a slight flaring of his mandibles and a shake of his head. His voice was smooth and full of envy as he said, “Give 'em hell.”


	60. Escaping Grissom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus watches Shepard raise holy hell in that mech.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Minor fixes here.

Garrus watched the mech wobble up the stairs as Shepard got a feel for the controls. He and EDI followed at a relatively safe distance. The second it emerged into the larger room above, the Cerberus troops began firing on it. His heart skipped a beat realizing one of those slugs could easily hit her in the cockpit. The canopy was shattered and offered virtually no protection at all.

After a couple of tense moments, Shepard returned fire. She unloaded standard rounds and missiles on the scattering troops. It was a thing of beauty. _That's my girl_. Garrus could not help but puff up with pride as he dashed for cover to her left. She really was going to give them hell, maybe send some of them there too.

Jack called to some of her students from the level above. “There's the shuttle! Head over two by two!”

Glancing up, he realized she really had come a long way from that insanely dangerous convict Shepard had released on Purgatory. She had never really been treated like a person until Shepard took her under her wing. The commander was a good influence on everyone around her. He supposed that counted him as well. The turian did not know what he would do without her and he never planned to find out. That was why he took careful aim at the trooper on the upper level trying to get a clear shot on her. With a twitch of his finger, he dropped the man over the railing. A clean shot through his eye, no chance of a reflexive movement on his own trigger.

“Shepard! Watch your ass!” Jack called out again.

“Crap...” Shifting, Garrus saw the guys coming in through the doors they had just entered. He was right in their line of sight until he threw himself over the planter he was tucked against.

Shepard stepped the mech around to face them too slow. Several shots hit the mech's hydraulics and it's movements began to stutter. Still she fired off as many rounds as she could. When one of the troopers got too close, she walked the mech right over him.

“I think you stepped in something, Shepard!” Jack laughed as she took off after her students.

“Hostiles up top!” Shepard called out to the woman before she got out of earshot.

“I got this!” Jack called back. Turning, she charged after them with a yell.

Garrus still found her level of biotic power insane. Of course, this was Jack he was watching. She was, in his book, completely insane herself. _Spirits, reckless and insane both_ , he amended as he watched her slam into three of the men up there and sling them around like rag dolls with her biotics.

Shepard fired the last of the mech's ammo and resorted to stepping on any that got too close. The last guy tried climbing up and hauling her out of the mech. He managed to get his hands on her and unseat her before Garrus could get to them. When he reached the struggling pair, he saw her omni-blade buried deep in the man's chest. She was on her feet in seconds. Her face drained of color a heartbeat later. He caught her just as she collapsed.

“Uh...crap!” Garrus swore as he swung her up into his arms and ran for the upper level. He glanced at her face once to reassure himself that she was still alive. Her eyelids were twitching, a sure sign of life, but she was out of it. Blood loss, he knew it had finally taken its toll on her. She could not have continued much longer anyway. Not with the wound in her side.

Garrus saw the mech enter the room, heard the missile launch and ducked around the corner just as it wizzed by. His heart slammed into his keel at the sight of it sailing off into the ceiling as the doors closed behind him. For a handful of heartbeats he just stood there, frozen as his heart returned to a normal rhythm. All he could see was the rocket on Omega hitting him in the face.

After several long seconds, his sight cleared and he finally saw Sanders working on the console near one of the shuttles. Cringing at the sound of a missile hitting the doors beside him, he backed away a few steps before turning toward the shuttle and carrying Shepard inside.

“Shuttle controls are unlocked.” Sanders confirmed as some of the students streamed in behind him.

“Where the hell's Rodriguez?” Jack snapped as she took a headcount.

“She needs cover fire.” EDI said sounding a bit too calm.

Garrus left Shepard in the shuttle wishing a thousand times he could stay with her. He knew his place, however. His skills were needed to make sure the team got out safe. Stepping back out, he saw Jack run for the glass between rooms.

“She needs more than that!” she barked at EDI and hit the glass with a full biotic charge.

Wasting no time, Garrus leaped through the window and grabbed Rodriguez, hauling her to her feet. He practically dragged her into the shuttle he had left Shepard in. Jack followed close on his heels.

“Shit! Shepard!” Jack glanced between him and the commander. “She ok?”

“Yeah....she...uh....she took a hit....awhile ago.” Garrus did not want to think about how bad it might be as he knelt beside her. He was barely aware of EDI calling the Normandy in Shepard's stead and informing Joker of their current status.

Jack said something to her students about kicking ass and getting inked. There was some banter around the shuttle, but the turian was oblivious to it as he watched the commander. When her eyes rolled open and locked on him, he nearly collapsed in relief. Disciplined as his people were, he did not allow the full extent of that relief to show.

“Hey, Jack. Now that you're military, you gonna wear a uniform? Or are you just gonna get the officers bars tattooed on?” Joker was asking.

“Screw you, f....flight lieutenant!” Jack growled.

“Uh...what the hell was that?” Joker asked with a laugh.

“Jack promised to watch her language in order to maintain the necessary professionalism we need from our teachers.” Sanders answered.

“Does she have a swear jar or somethin'? 'cause I bet if we emptied that thing, we'd have enough for another cruiser.” Joker said sounding incredulous.

Garrus glanced up at Jack and noticed the pinched look on her face. _Here it comes_.

“Cover your ears, kids.” Jack said a moment later. “Hey, Joker. Fuck you, you sleazy little bastard!”

Shepard let out a snicker and held her side as she sat up with Garrus' help. “Wow, Jack. That's.....real professional...”

“Thank you, Commander. We'd have never gotten off that station if you hadn't shown up.” Sanders said as she help Garrus guide Shepard to a seat.

“I'm just doin' my job.” Shepard grunted as they lowered her to the seat.

“You could have been killed just doing that 'job'. I've never seen a better functioning team. Jack says you taught her everything she knows about teamwork. I only hope she can teach this bunch the same thing.” Sanders said tossing her thumb over her shoulder at the group of teenagers tormenting each other.

“She'll manage. She's a natural.” Shepard nodded.

The trip back to the Normandy was loud, but otherwise uneventful. Cortez set to work stripping the Cerberus shuttle almost before the shuttle bay doors were sealed. Jack took her group to the mess hall while Garrus swung Shepard up into his arms.

“What are you doing?” she asked him dangerously as he headed for the elevator.

“Taking you to the med bay.” Garrus said in a tone that brooked no argument.

“Fine, but I can walk.” she grumbled.

“Hmm...I've seen you're _idea..._ of walking since that Cerberus trooper nailed you. I'd just as soon carry you.....make sure you get there.” there was just a hint of sarcasm to his voice. He had no intention of letting her realize just how worried he had really been.

If he were being honest, he was still worried. Just because she was awake now, did not mean she could not black out again. _Or worse_.... He clamped down on that thought before it even had a chance to fully develop.


	61. Rounds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard checks on a few of her crew after her run-in with the doctor.

Shepard barely sat still long enough for Chakwas to dig the slug out of her side and dress the wound before she was up and out of the med bay. Garrus was hot on her heels the moment she left the doctor. He tried a couple of times to get her to stop long enough to eat a ration bar at least. When she finally agreed, he seemed relieved.

“Keep your comm open. My rounds won't take long.” she told him before heading for the elevator.

Garrus seemed satisfied with that as he nodded and wandered off toward the main battery. If she had to guess, she would have said he meant to calibrate something. That seemed to be his first niche when they were not running missions by the seat of their pants. She left him to it. He was good at it. The Normandy's weapons systems had never functioned so well before he had started tinkering with them.

Shepard headed for the comm room once she stepped off the elevator. She needed to contact Anderson. He would want to know that his friend was safely off Grissom station.

“Shepard. Damned if you aren't a sight for sore eyes.” Anderson said the moment the QEC connected.

“Good to see you too, sir.” Shepard nodded at the man.

“'Sir'? I may have reinstated you, but that doesn't give you permission to go all formal on me.” Anderson said as he took a step back.

Shepard smiled at that. “Then I'm glad you managed to keep your ass alive, Anderson.”

“That's more like it.” Anderson nodded and visibly relaxed. “Doesn't look like you wasted any time gettin' work. I don't even wanna think about what might have happened if Cerberus had gotten their hands on those kids.”

“They wanna help, that's for sure.” she nodded.

“Those students are some of the best humanity has to offer.....and we're throwing them into battle. Dammit, I hate this war.” Anderson heaved an irritated sigh. A moment later his expression changed to concern. “Hackett didn't mention the academy's director in his report....”

“Kahlee Sanders is safe. She's with the recruits.” Shepard supplied the information he was looking for.

“Thanks, Shepard. When I heard about the attack... Well,.... I've already lost a lot of old friends.” Anderson shook his head, the relief plain on his face.

“She asked me to tell you to stay alive.” Shepard told him, a knowing smile pinning itself to her face.

Anderson laughed. It was the kind of laugh born of relief and interest as he shifted his footing. “Did she now? Well. Thanks, Shepard. That might be the first good news I've had this week. Anderson out.”

Once his image vanished, Shepard headed for the CIC. As she passed through decon, the pair standing watch were chatting as usual. This time their conversation was in regards to Palaven.

Private Westmoreland was saying, “You see the feeds from Palaven? It's brutal. I'm surprised the turians are holding.”

Private Campbell replied with one of the slurs Shepard did not care to hear from her crew. “The birds don't quit when things get ugly. I'll give 'em that.”

Shepard was standing there glaring at the woman until the private noticed her. It did not take more than a few seconds. Anger boiled her blood and she allowed it to color her voice. “You a xenophobe, Private?”

“No ma'am.” the private answered standing a little straighter.

“Good. I expect my crew to give our non-human allies the respect they deserve. Racial slurs will not be tolerated. Is that clear, Private?” Shepard said smoothly.

“Yes ma'am.” Campbell sounded chastised, but she meant to make sure.

Shepard moved in close to the woman for good measure. Her voice was low, but held the bite of steel. “If I hear you referring to our turian allies as 'birds' again, I will _personally_ toss you out the airlock.”

“Y – yes....ma'am...” now Campbell was sufficiently chastised.

“As you were.” Shepard said before walking off.

As she drew closer to the galaxy map, Specialist Traynor looked up. “Commander, you've got a new message at your private terminal.”

“Any word from the Alliance? Has the Grissom Academy shuttle made it in?” Shepard was anxious to know that her efforts to rescue those kids were not in vane.

“Yes, Commander. I just got word... everyone from Grissom Academy arrived safely barely an hour ago.” Traynor answered.

“We would never have known they were in trouble if you hadn't caught that distress signal. Nice work.” Shepard stroked her ego just a little. She did that during her rounds. It helped keep morale up.

“Thanks, Commander.” Traynor said.

Shepard nodded and made her way up to the flight deck. She meant to check in on EDI now that she had performed what seemed to be a successful field test. Whatever the AI thought of it, the commander was convinced it was a great success.

“So....Jack's an instructor....wow.” Joker said as she entered the flight deck. “Guess anyone who messes with biotic kids gets turned into a small stain on the floor. And ceiling... Ooh and that was Cerberus attacking the academy. Man, that must have been like Christmas for her! Anyway, nice job getting them out of there.”

“I didn't do it alone. They were throwin' out some pretty impressive biotic power.” Shepard reminded him.

“Good. We could use some heavy hitters in the biotic department. It'll be good for them too. Biotics face a lot of discrimination. Maybe if they save the galaxy people will get over their issues.”

Shepard stepped to the side of his chair and looked down at him curiously. “I didn't expect _you_ to be sensitive about _that_.”

“Hey, I'm just tired of them stealing the spotlight from people with actual disabilities. I break a rib if I sneeze too hard. Being able to move crap with your mind is not a handicap.” Joker grumbled.

“Uh-huh....” Shepard said and left before he could ask what she meant by that. His comments had completely distracted her from the reason she had been there in the first place. She would check in with EDI another time.

Finally, Shepard decided to head down toward engineering. She had yet to search Jack's old area for some of the models the Alliance had removed from her quarters. Those models had been cropping up all over the ship.

When she stepped off the elevator, she headed straight in. The stairs were less friendly with the bruised ribs and half healed bullet wound. The med bay needed an upgrade to work with her implants properly. The Alliance had ripped the old one out for no apparent reason.

Stepping into Jack's old area, she stopped when she saw Javik standing there. He seemed to be contemplating the table in the room, an odd look on his face as he blinked slowly. She was still getting used to the Prothean's eye configuration. He was so much like the Collectors, she worried that being near him for too long might well trigger the Harbinger nightmare again. It had been months since she had had that one.

After a moment, he noticed her standing there and turned his head to look at her. “Commander. I was exploring your ship.”

“Find anything interesting?” Shepard asked him.

“One of your crew lived in this space. There are traces of anger.” he answered.

“That was Jack. Anger was her specialty.”

“Traces of her pain are still here. I am told she sought revenge against Cerberus when she was here. A goal you helped fulfill. I hope you will do the same for me.” he paused for a moment to look around. “At least I have better quarters.”

“She chose to live here. We offered her better quarters.” Shepard commented.

“Traces of the drell overlap hers. I believe she was joined with him.” Javik said as he touched the table briefly. “Just as you and the turian are joined. There was more..... the drell was sick.”

“Yeah, Keplar's Syndrome. I never knew they'd spoken to each other off the battlefield.” Shepard said thoughtfully.

“Perhaps you should spend this time with your mate, Commander. Tomorrow is not promised.” Javik said before he walked past her and headed up the stairs.

Shepard watched him go thoughtfully. _Maybe he's got the right idea. Garrus hasn't had what you'd call 'downtime' since he came aboard. I should probably take it easy with this anyway._ Her hand rubbed gently across her sore ribs as she turned and started to head back up the stairs. A quick movement caught her eye before she left and she knelt down to see what it was.

A faint laugh escaped her as she held her hand out toward the small rodent cowering under the table. “There you are.... I thought the Alliance boys did something terrible with you...”

The hamster cautiously slinked toward her hand as he had usually done in his cage. She wasted no time in carefully snatching him up. Her first priority was getting him back into his cage as she headed up the stairs.


	62. Ink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard and Garrus finally get some much needed downtime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reader Discretion Advised: If you're not interested in alien smut, skip this chapter. You'll miss some goodies, but you'll catch up later on. =P
> 
> Long multiple pov chapter between Garrus and Shepard. They seem to like it that way for this kind of chapter.

Garrus sat staring at the small ink pot he had brought to Shepard's quarters for what seemed an eternity. He rolled the sealed jar slowly back and forth between his hands and wondered again if this was really such a good idea. According to custom, he really had no choice. Accepting the title of praetor had upped his societal and hierarchy rank by several notches. That required him to add more to the pattern of his existing facial markings.

Simple was the best solution, he knew that. He had already chosen to add the markings his father favored to his own. They would denote his current status as well as maintain the simplicity he preferred. This was something he would normally have just done himself, but he wanted to involve Shepard. He meant to have her add them, if she was willing. As she applied them across his facial plates, he would explain the markings and their meaning. It was time she knew a few more of the lesser known details of his life and culture.

The places the ink was to be applied were already prepared, the stripes sanded smooth to accept the new ink. All that was required now was the application of the ink itself. It would create semi-permanent tattooing once his natural texture reasserted itself. In a few weeks it would be completely healed over the ink, sealing it in.

When Shepard stepped out of the bathroom and came down the three stairs to the sitting area, he looked up at her. She must have noticed the thoughtful look on his face. He knew she saw the ink pot as she crossed the room to him.

“You ok?” she asked as she sat on the edge of the couch next to him.

Garrus nodded and glanced down at the ink pot in his hands. With a sigh, he broke the seal and set both the lid and the pot down on the low coffee table next to the fine paint brush he generally used for such things. The question was out of him on the next breath, but it felt as if he had dragged it over hot coals along the way. “Would you...uh...would you mind....doing something for me?”

“What did you have in mind?” Shepard asked as she glance between him and the now open pot.

“I'll explain their meaning if....uh....if you'll apply the ink to the...uh...to the sanded places.” he removed his visor and set it down on the coffee table near the ink pot. After another second of consideration, he ran a talon along one of the sanded stripes to draw her eyes to the duller looking patches on his brow-plates.

“Alright.” she said with a nod as she picked up the brush next to the pot. “So why are we adding more markings? I thought you were meaning to touch up what you already have.”

Closing his eyes as she touched the brush to the first sanded stripe, he suppressed a hiss at the sting. After a couple of heartbeats, he found his voice and practically growled the word. “Praetor....”

“So you add more markings for increases in societal rank?” she asked, her brushstrokes sure and precise.

“Yeah.” his answer was a hiss of pain as the ink flowed into the edge of one of the scars he had laid raw in his preparations.

“This hurts.” Shepard's voice was soft, full of concern as the brush suddenly left his raw plates.

“Only for a few seconds. The stripes are raw. They'll heal over in a few weeks,.....make the ink more permanent.” he said, opening his eyes to look at her. He indicated the brush with a nod of his head.

“You're sure you want me to continue?” she asked cautiously.

“Yes. It has to be done......and there's.....no one else I trust more to do it than you.” he locked eyes with her, the slight intake of breath as the brush touched his raw plates again, barely loud enough to be heard over the bubbling of the fish tank.

“So what do they mean?”

“The color is for the colony of origin. The Unification War prompted the colonies to...um....color code themselves. I'm not.....uh....I'm not colony-born....” he paused and followed the movement of her wrist with his eyes.

“Blue for Palaven...?” she asked

“Hmm...blue for Clan Vakarian. The uh....older families of Palaven....” he began.

“Have their own color,.....I see...... And the amount of markings are rank related.” Shepard said thoughtfully as she touched the brush to another of the smooth stripes. “So what was your rank before? I've seen other turians with a lot fewer markings...”

“I....uh.....hmmm......” he was not sure how exactly to put it as his mandibles drew tighter to his face.

“You outrank me, don't you, Vakarian?” Shepard asked sharply, lowering the brush to inspect her handiwork. A smile was trying to curl the corners of her mouth.

“Hmm.....” he nodded with a slight widening of his mandibles.

“How.....long....?” she breathed. From the look on her face, he was sure she was calculating the time frame and some of the orders she had given him over the years.

“Always have....” he said quietly.

Shepard shook her head with a soft laugh. “You didn't think that was just a little bit important, Garrus? I've been ordering you around like a first year cadet....”

The turian simply smiled at her and dipped a talon into the ink pot. Before she could stop him, he traced a bit of scroll work on her left cheek near her ear. Not a mimic of his own markings, but a bit of turian script, his clan color standing out darkly against her skin. The ink was going to leave a stain for months and he found that idea deeply satisfying.

The second she reached up to cover it, he caught her wrist gently. Bringing her knuckles to his mouth, he rubbed them ever so carefully against the texture of his plates. A second later, he flicked the tip of his tongue over them in a show of affection generally only practiced between turian mates. His eyes never left her face as he said, “Don't touch it yet, it'll smear.”

The smile that came to her face then took his breath for a couple of heartbeats. She rarely smiled for anyone and most of the time those smiles never reached her eyes. For him, her smile seemed to come easily. Her eyes would shine just that tiny bit brighter, lock to his or dance across his face as if etching every detail into her memory. He had never known anyone quite like her.

*

Shepard sat considering her handiwork across his face. The stripes were simple, but the meaning was not lost on her. Semi-permanent he had said and he had asked her to place them. That was a profound request in and of itself, she realized. In away he had just made her apart of himself by asking her to paint them in.

The initial shock when he reached up with an ink coated talon, tracing a small swirling pattern on her cheekbone near her ear, must have been painted all over her face by the way he looked at her. When she reach up to touch her cheek he caught her wrist. Her eyes were locked to his actions as he brought her hand to his mouth plates. The gentle rub of his barely parted mouth across her knuckles carried an intimate quality no one else had ever topped. The tiny hairs on the back of her hand stirred against the soft exhale of breath sweeping over her flesh. His actions held her enthralled and when she thought it could not be a more perfect moment, the blue tip of his tongue feathered across her knuckles, quick as lightning.

Shepard reached up with her other hand to cup his scarred cheek and mandible. Smiling at him, she realized his face had become more dear to her than she could ever have imagined when she first met him. Then, he had been just another turian. Interesting for sure. Good looking for one of his people, definitely, but she had thought little of it. He was the first non-human to ever tug at her heartstrings as they had gotten to know each other.

After a moment, it dawned on her that his talon was still coated in blue. “Isn't that gonna stain your talon?”

“Mmhmm.” he answered with a long contented sounding hum.

“Shouldn't you clean it off before it sets?” she breathed as he moved in a little closer.

“Already set....” he hummed as he slid an arm over the back of the couch and came within inches of her face.

“So you're painting your nails now?” she teased and would have laughed at that idea if her body was not already responding to his closeness.

“Weird human...” he murmured and touched his forehead to hers.

“Cocky turian...” she whispered and drew him in for a kiss.

*

Garrus was caught up in the moment. His entire world had shrunk down to this one small human female slipping into his arms. He had no idea how he had ever gotten so lucky, but he thanked the spirits for winding the threads of their lives together. That moment was the one that counted, not the days of loneliness before; or the war; or the possible destruction of the galaxy tomorrow. All that mattered to him was the here and now. Her breath against his face as she trailed her mouth along his mandible had his complete and utter attention.

All those months of wondering if he would ever see her again melted away when she straddled his lap and pressed herself against him. The horror of watching his world burn under the Reaper attack faded away to the back of his mind as his hands found the fabric of her top. His plates began to loosen as the stress of the last mission ebbed away. He let out an open mouthed sigh and closed his eyes as her kisses followed the muscles of his neck.

Garrus was lost in the sensations she was producing as he tugged her shirt out of the waistband of her pants. His hand must have grazed her injured side to elicit the sudden gasp and flinch of pain. It did not seem to stop her as she hauled the shirt off over her head, however. They had yet to dim the lights and he got a good look at just how bad the injury was.

“Shepard...” he groaned, his eyes flicking back to her face. “Maybe we sh....”

*

Straddling him, Shepard was virtually standing over him on her knees. She gently covered the cat-like shape of his mouth with two fingers to prevent the objection to her pain from flowing out of him. There was no way she was going to let a little bruise and flesh wound come between them and their time together. Her eyes were slitted, face serious when she shook her head slightly at his objections. She knew he was worried he might hurt her. A little pain was a small price to pay for the intimacy they shared.

At his slight nod of acceptance, she went for the closures of his shirt. This time she knew what she was doing. While incarcerated, she had had plenty of time to get acquainted with turian fashion over the extranet. The quick work she made of opening those closures was a testament to how thoroughly she had studied them. She had the shirt open and his plated chest laid bare in a matter of seconds. He raise a brow-plate at her and she simply smiled.

*

Garrus ghosted his right hand over her left side. The bruise was black and covered the entire lower half of her rib cage, extending just below it by a hand span. The bullet wound was small and covered with a bandage roughly the size of his palm at the leading edge of that bruise. He realized this could prove tricky as he settled his hands on her hips. After a moment of thought, he trailed his left hand up her uninjured right side and found her cloth-covered breast. Human breasts were still odd to him, but he greatly enjoyed how she reacted when he touched them. The little lace band she wore around her ribs to hold them was annoying. His talons were snagging in it until she reached around and removed it. The second it slid down her arms, she snapped it across the room.

As soon as that small annoyance was out of the way, he palmed her breast and was rewarded with a satisfying intake of breath. He slid his callused palm over her nipple carefully and she all but hissed in pleasure, arching into his touch. Leaning forward enough to reach her, he ran his tongue from that odd little divot in her abdomen to the bottom edge of her sternum.

*

The action that finally shattered her control was his tongue running half way up her torso. She stood and drew him up with her. Her fingers gripped the waistband of his pants as she led him around the table. He did not simply follow. His arms where around her, hands roving over her flesh hungrily and mouth nibbling relentlessly at her neck and shoulder. She stripped him of his insanely buckle-laden pants as if she had been doing so for years. He wiggled his toes just enough to help removed the soft shoes he generally wore with his civvies. As she led him toward the bed, she managed to somehow get his shirt off arms that seemed more noodle than muscle, bone and plate.

Her pants hit the floor the second his hands took hold of them. She was pretty sure he had completely destroyed the button and zipper and in that moment, she did not care. Blocking his foot as he made to push her toward the bed, she force him to turn. It almost felt like a tango move, something Nana had taught her years ago. She had to hold onto him to keep him steady as they shifted. The moment she had him where she wanted him, she applied just enough force to push him down onto the bed. He sat with a bounce and glared up at her the way she thought a turian child might for taking his favorite toy. After a few seconds he got the idea and scooted back, grabbing a pillow to tuck behind his neck so his fringe did not catch on the mattress.

Shepard followed him, making sure to stay just above him, but not truly touching him. Her body heat was the key to the game she was playing here. She knew it drove him wild. The temperature of a turian's plates was naturally cooler than human flesh. The Normandy's environmental controls were keyed to human tolerances. That left her turian feeling somewhat chilled most of the time. He had mentioned once how she was like a living heater and she exploited it during times like this.

Smiling down at him as she hovered over him. Bracing herself on one hand, she ran the other down his heavily muscled side where the plates were thinnest. Her smile increased at his stuttering gasp. She knew, in that moment, that she had him exactly where she wanted him. Lowering her weight carefully over his compound pelvis, she curled down to rub her jaw against his mandibles. His hands settled on her hips the moment she made contact. It was obvious he meant for her to stay right where she was.

*

Garrus wrapped his hands around her hips the instant she settled herself on him. His seam, slightly parted as it was, rubbing against the silken fabric of her underwear was driving him insane. When she shifted her weight to rub his mandibles, his groin plates nearly burst open. His erection was released almost painfully against her. He grunted in frustration at the mixture of sensations. His talons snagging hold of the thin piece of fabric that still separated them.

“Take 'em off....” he growled, his sub-harmonics issuing something close to a snarl as he raised up just enough to lick the underside of her jaw.

“You'd like that, wouldn't you?” Shepard asked almost breathlessly as she shifted again.

“Hmmm...... _very_ much.....” his voice had dropped almost a full octave in his desire.

She leaned in close to his ear pore and whispered before running her tongue up his mandible from rear edge to front tip. “I think I'll keep 'em on.”

Shepard must have known exactly how that would affect him. He shuddered and his hands spasmed on the fabric. His talons all but shredded the thinnest part of the waistband and he heard her giggle.

“Wicked woman.” he growled and gently pulled the offending piece of fabric out of the way and cast it somewhere across the room.

“You love it.” she whispered shamelessly.

“Hmm...” he nodded and curled up to meet her upright position as much as his own flexibility would allow.

Garrus took advantage of her next shift as her legs settled over his hip crests. The moment she started to lower herself over him, he thrust himself into her. Her sharp gasp of pleasure had his mandibles flaring in a wide smile.

“That's _not_ fair, Vakarian.” she gasped out at him.

“All's fair in love and war..... isn't that the human saying?” he said, nuzzling into her collar bone.

“And which is this?” she half growled at him, her head tilting back to give him access.

“You have to ask?” he nipped at the scarred bite mark on her left shoulder sharply at that.

In answer, she began rocking against him and his breath caught at the sudden pleasure it brought. His sub-harmonics echoed the long moan of fulfillment that vibrated out of the depths of his chest. This was what he had been sorely missing, the closeness they had shared just before she left him on Palaven. He loved her from plates to bones with everything he was. The time apart had only intensified it, locked it in and confirmed what he had known since the SR-1 was destroyed. She made his world right even when everything around him was going so terribly wrong.

Garrus wrapped his arms around her to steady her as their movements became more desperate. His mandibles flexed with her every downward thrust, his mouth parted slightly. One arm rested loosely around her waist. The other was braced against her ribs, hand just between her shoulder blades.

*

Shepard locked eyes with Garrus the moment his release hit him. His mandibles were flared and his mouth slightly open as the savage sounding snarl ripped its way past his throat. She did not shy away from the apex predator holding her locked in his arms. Instead, she continued to chase her own release. A few seconds more and she threw her head back to howl his name with her own release. When she dipped her forehead toward his, he met her half way. His face completely relaxed in the following bliss.

Leaning in further, she wrapped herself around him. A sigh of contentment escaped her as she felt his arms lock around her to hold her in place. This was the peace she had been missing for so many months. She had never imagined she would find this sort of contentment in the arms of a turian, but she would not trade it for the galaxy. She needed him and she was fairly certain he needed her. After all, he had all but admitted he loved her. Eventually, one of them would say it to the other. They would make that promise. Maybe even find a way to make their bonding legal.


	63. The Meaning of a Mark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard learns the meaning of the elegant turian script Garrus has inked on her cheek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning; sappy fluff ahead.

“You're bleeding....” Garrus grumbled as she moved away from him.

Looking down at her side, she noticed the bandage had turned red. A trail of crimson dribbled down toward her hipbone. She glanced back up at him with a smile. “Help me with the bandage?”

“Hmm...you know I will.” he scooted off the bed and took her hand.

Shepard led him into the bathroom, only releasing his hand to rummage through the odds and ends on the shelves in the far side of the room. She came back to the sink with some gaze and tape. Glancing up at the mirror, she took a double take at the small blue script on her left cheek. She touched it with a couple of fingertips, turning her head to examine it.

“What does it mean?” she asked, recognizing the elegant flow of turian script.

Garrus stepped in behind her, wrapping his arms around her. His eyes locking to hers in the mirror and he breathed the word out quietly. “Mine.”

“Is that what it means or is that what you're feeling?” her voice was just as quiet as she wrapped her hand around the lightly plated forearm draped across her collar bones.

“Hmm...both...” he whispered near her ear and released her, moving away from her as if burned.

Shepard felt the loss of his embrace keenly before she realized why he had moved. His kneecap clicked hard against the floor as he knelt down beside her and started carefully peeling the bloody bandage away. While he did that, she laid out a few pieces of gaze for cleaning the wound and prepped the new dressing with the salve the doctor had given her.

“Shepard....sweetie,....we...um....we tore the stitches out.” his voice betrayed his concern as he reached up for some gaze to clean the blood away.

“'Sweetie'..huh?” she raised a brow at him. “You're lucky you're cute. Nobody else could get away with _that_.”

“Hmm...nobody else better try...that's all I'm saying” Garrus locked eyes with her briefly before refocusing on her wound. As he took the new bandage and secured it in place, he said, “You should go the med bay with this...”

“Chakwas will have us _both_ by the ears..... Well, me anyway. She might hang you by your mandibles if she finds out _how_ the stitches were torn out.” Shepard chuckled.

“Shepard...” Garrus grumbled a warning.

“Once the bleeding stops, it'll be fine.” she grumbled back.

“I'll _carry_ you if I have to.” he retorted.

“You wouldn't dare.” she growled back at him.

His expression hardened a fraction as he rose to his feet in one fluid motion to tower over her. He tilted his head to the side with one hand on the counter. “Care to bet on that?”

“Fiiiine...” she sighed, rolling her eyes at him. “But not tonight. I'll see her in the morning. I have plans tonight.”

Garrus grunted and turned toward the door. “I should...uh.....find my clothes.....and head back to the battery.”

“Why? My plans involve you, me and a bottle of wine, some good food, maybe some more 'stress relief' and some better sleep.” she said as she caught his forearm just below the rounded spurs that feathered along it. Her lite grip halted his exit from the bathroom.

Shepard watched his mandibles flick and try not to widen into a smile as it clicked in his brain what she meant. He turned back toward her and rested his plated brow against her smooth forehead, hands rubbing her upper arms. Returning to his normal posture, Garrus asked the most obvious question. “You're sure you want me to stay?”

“You're not gonna be living in the battery, so where else do you think you're gonna stay?” she snorted a faint laugh as his mandibles dropped in mild shock. “Yeah,..... I've already updated the crew manifest and living arrangements. You're officially sharing my quarters...”

“The primarch....” Garrus began clearly concerned about how things might look.

“Has his own quarters. This level is off limits to our 'guests'. He's been informed of that.” Shepard said firmly.

“Hmm...you're sure about this?” he asked as he ran a talon delicately over the ink he had left on her cheek.

“Yes. You're staying. If anyone has anything to say about it, they can say it directly to me.” she paused with a wicked smile. “If I don't like what they have to say, I'll toss them into an escape pod and eject them....or maybe out the airlock.”

“Shepard...” it was a warning growl.

“You said it yourself, 'we can find another primarch'.....” there was a faint laugh in her voice as she met his eyes with a devious look. “How about it, ' _Primarch_ Vakarian'? You ready to step into his shoes if Victus has an issue with _us_?”

“ _Spirits_ , Shepard.... don't go there....” the very idea tripped a half cough, half laugh from him.

Shepard laughed and turned back toward the sink for a moment. She peeled a clear film from a pad under the tape and smoothed it over the bandage. Once it was secure she looked back up at him. “Ready for a shower?”

“Hmm....I thought you'd never ask.” he said smoothly as he headed toward it. Giving the nobs a twist from the side of the shower head, he looked back at her. “You know, I'll have to bring some necessary gear up here. Means a trip back to the battery later.”

“You good for tonight? I know you brought your shower gear up.” Shepard asked glancing at the shower items tucked into the corner near his feet.

“Hmm...yeah. I'll collect what I need in the morning. The rest can stay in the battery....for appearances.” he said as he stepped under the warm spray of the water.

Shepard watched the water run over him, streaming into the crevasse between his plates. Those plates seemed to darken just a fraction as the water soaked into them. With her eyes, she traced the bands of blue ink running down the sides of his chest plates to his hip crests. They wrapped around those crests and flowed down the outsides of his legs over the spurs flaring out from the sides of his knees. As he turned, she saw that the 'mask' was mirrored across the back of his carapace. Bands ran down from that to meet those on his sides. She realized those must have taken hours to create and she had to wonder how old he had been when they were first added.

Stepping over to him, she bent down and collected his soap and brush. She unscrewed the handle and tossed it against the wall before applying a palm sized amount of the soap to the bristles. Carefully, she began to scrub his chest plates as he stepped back toward the wall to allow her to join him under the spray.

Their bathing turned to something closer to foreplay as she reached his hip crests and groin plates with the soap. He locked his arms around her, pulling her closer to him. The second her lips met his mouth plates, they were off again, learning what worked and what did not for them in the shower.

Shepard was rapidly learning just how passionate her turian really was once he felt secure in their relationship. She realized he was bordering on insatiable. By the time they managed to eat something, they were both thoroughly exhausted.

“Sleep..... now, _Praetor._..” she yawned.

“Hmm...it's just 'Garrus'.” he grumbled softly.

“You have worn your girlfriend out.... You and I are going to _sleep_.” Shepard dragged the covers back and practically fell into the bed. She felt more than saw him crawl into the other side, tucking pillows into key places to support himself. He got no resistance from her when he wrapped his arms around her and tucked her in close.

Shepard draped herself over him, coming to rest with both legs tucked between his. With the distance between his thighs, it turned out to be a comfortable position for them both as she ran one arm up around his carapace. 

Garrus nuzzled his chin gently into the top of her head. With a sleepy sigh he said, “I like the sound of that....”

“The sound of what?” Her head found a softer spot on the unplated section of his shoulder.

“'Girlfriend'.” he hummed softly, a deep purr resonating through his chest.

Shepard smiled and snuggled into that soft spot she had found in her otherwise hard turian. Sleep was claiming her quickly, but she still managed to whisper, “I like the sound of it too.”


	64. A Discussion Over Rations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There only a few ration bars left in the dextro drawer, all a flavor Garrus can't stand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little more cuteness mixed with some sobering points.

Garrus made sure Shepard went to the med bay before he headed for the battery. True, the bullet wound had stopped bleeding the night before, but he refused to take any chances with her life. As he started toward the battery, something stopped him and made him glance back. He saw her slip away from the door before the sensor caught her presence.

“Shepard...” he growled and gave her a hard look.

“Fine...” she huffed and went into the med bay.

The moment he knew she had been snagged by the doctor he breathed a sigh of relief and turned toward the battery. _Stubborn woman....gonna give me a stroke_. His eyes caught the kitchenette before his feet hit the ramp and he changed direction as his stomach let out a loud protest for food. Stepping around the counter, he opened the cold storage drawer reserved for dextro rations. Rummaging through it for a minute, he realized those rations were getting very skinny. With himself and Victus on board, they were going to need to make a stop at the Citadel soon. The few bars and packets left were not going to last more than a couple of days at most.

“Oh....... _yummy_.... _vorsin_ flavored.... _ughkkk_...” he grumbled sarcastically with a turian equivalent of a sneer. His tongue slightly out in disgust as he took the ration bar and headed toward the battery.

Vega had told him once that a _vorsin_ reminded him of an Earth animal called a pig. Garrus did not care what else it might look like, the meat was less appetizing than a ball of grease to him. The flavoring used in the protein bars was even less so. Unfortunately that was the extent of the remaining bars in that drawer.

_Kantog_ , now that was a flavor he could eat every day. Vega said those animals reminded him of something called a bison on Earth, but bigger and meaner. He figured the fact that it was so much meaner was probably the reason it tasted so much better. It certainly was meaner than a _vorsin_.

Tossing the bar on the workbench he had set up in the corner, he turned toward the console. The message light was blinking. Opening it, he found a note from Victus. He was glad Shepard was not in the room at that particular moment. She had been trying to make him blush since she met him. Turians did not blush the same way humans did, but his neck had a decidedly bluish cast to it as he read the note.

Apparently Victus was aware of his relationship with Shepard, even encouraging it at this point. The man had some passing interest in her himself, but would refrain from expressing it out of respect for a fellow soldier. The flush of color across the flesh of the turian's neck was a mixture of emotions, none of which he could pin down and examine closely in that moment. Some part of him wanted to toss Victus, friend or not, out the nearest airlock and be done with it. He regretted the idea as soon as it formed.

Instead, he went about checking his calibrations before looking over the strategical map. That was something he dreaded looking at and so he put it off as long as possible. His stomach and the ration bar forgotten, he lost himself in the simple joy of running firing algorithms.

It must have been hours later when Shepard stepped in. The scent of her soap rushed around him as the door slid shut behind her. He inhaled with a flaring of his mandibles.

“Wow, Garrus, I could hear your stomach growling from the door.” she said as she stopped beside him.

“Uh....forgot to eat.... Got a ration bar over there.” he waved in the general direction of the workbench. He was nearly finished with the last few equations of the latest calibration.

“ _Eat_.... The algorithm will still be there when you're finished.” Shepard grumbled at him as she slid the ration bar across on the edge of the console he was not directly working at.

Tapping a couple more keys, he finally hit the last with a flare of dramatic pride before turning to her with a wide turian smile. “If you insist.”

“I do...” she grumbled.

Tearing the package open, he took a bite and nearly spat it back out as the horrid taste hit his tongue. “ _Ugh...spirits_ , I forgot how bad this flavor really is...”

“It can't be that bad. Let me see it.” Shepard said as she reached for the half eaten ration bar.

“Shepard...” he gave her a sideways look that said, basically, 'don't do it'.

“Come on. I'm not allergic and if I don't swallow, it's not gonna upset my stomach.” she reminded him.

“Alright....” he said grudgingly and handed her the bar. He watched her pinch off a tiny corner with those short little human teeth and nearly burst out laughing at the look that crossed her face.

“ _Ugh_....oh....my god.....that's _awful_... It tastes like gear grease and bad cheese.” she spat it out in her hand, wiping her mouth with a couple of fingertips and closed her eyes. Her face was pinched in a severe expression of disgust. “How the hell do you _eat_ _that_?”

Garrus chuckled and shook his head as he took the bar from her. “I don't....unless they're all that's left.”

The moment he took another bite of it, he thought Shepard was going to throw up. She covered her mouth and fought back an obvious heave of her stomach. A moment later, she reached for the bar again, wiggling her fingers at him. “Gimme that _thing_ . You're _not_ eating it. We're heading for the Citadel and getting more dextro rations. _Better_ rations!”

“Shepard,....what am I supposed to eat between now and then?” he had to admit, he almost sounded like a whining child.

“Not _this_....and we're leaving now.” she indicated the bar and touched the implant near her ear. “Joker, set a course to the Citadel, pronto, buddy.”

“Aye, aye, Commander.” Joker's voice came over the comm.

“Ugh...I think I need to bleach my mouth out after that....” Shepard literally wiped her tongue on her hand a couple of times trying to dispel the awful taste.

Garrus could not help himself. He leaned on the console before him, shoulders shaking in a silent bout of laughter. Part of him almost wished he had been recording this moment with his visor. It was just one of those moments that should have been preserved.

“Laugh it up, Garrus.” Shepard grumbled at him when she realized he was laughing.

After a moment, he caught his breath and wrapped an arm around her to draw her close. His plated brow rested against hers briefly. His eyes locked to hers intensely the second he raised up. He started to say something else and recovered with a stammer. “I love.....hm....the look....on your face.”

“Uh-huh..” Shepard grumbled softly.

“Hmmmm....” Garrus let out a hum and looked back down at his console.

“So Jack sent a message. 'the kids are safe and kicking ass'.” she said, resting her hands on the railing next to that console.

“One of the worst parts of this war is watching the kids react. If they're lucky, they grow up thinking the galaxy's basically a decent place. Some rough spots here and there, but for the most part, life makes sense. Now they find out it was all a lie. They wake up to see these things in the dark that just want to destroy everything they ever cared about. If they survive, there'll be a lot of angry orphans out there looking for answers.” he took a breath wondering for a moment if some of that reference was not in regards to himself. He was not a kid, but his father and sister were still missing. With his mother already gone, he would, in a sense, be an orphan himself if something happened to his father. He glanced back toward Shepard and gave her a faint widening of his mandibles.

“We're going to win this, Garrus.” Shepard said and put her hand on his shoulder.

“I hope you're right, Shepard....” his sigh was frustrated. In many ways, he was glad he did not have kids of his own in this mess. He took a queue from Shepard and changed the subject. “Life just wouldn't be complete if I didn't see Jack one more time.”

“All things considered, she looked well enough.” the commander nodded.

“Nice to see she's downgraded from dangerous lunatic to _mildly_ insane.” taking a breath, he locked eyes with Shepard. He still wondered how she really felt about the whole thing with Cerberus. “You have to admit, she did see through Cerberus back in the day. I might have listened, but her tattoos gave me a headache every time she walked into the room.”

“You and me both. I was glad to see her wearing something a little less revealing at Grissom. Can't imagine Sanders was happy to see those leather straps.” Shepard agreed.

“I wish they'd had a Grissom Academy for turians when I was growing up. Always wanted to learn to paint. Now I mostly paint walls with Reaper blood – not the same, but it's a living.” he was looking for a way to lighten the mood, wishing a thousand times he had left his thoughts about the war and the kids unspoken.

“That reminds me..... Jack said she left a surprise in the Zakera Ward warehouse for you.” Shepard cocked her head to the side slightly, a habit she had clearly picked up from him. “Says it's something big, something you've been 'drooling over'.”

“Hmmm...turians don't drool....” Garrus grumbled and tried not to think what the psychotic biotic might have left for him.

“Yeah..riiiight. Tell that to someone who hasn't curled up with a sleeping turian.” Shepard chuckled and squeezed his bicep gently. “Alright, big guy, I should go. We'll hit the Citadel shortly. Maybe find out what Jack left there for you.”


	65. Return to the Citadel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard runs into a couple of old 'friends'.

Some of the others had already left the ship by the time Shepard exited to docking bay D24. Diana Allers, one of the annoying reporters lurking around the station, tried to stop her. She backed off when another woman came strolling up toward them and glared at her.

“Miranda...” Shepard said sounding a little shocked to see the former Cerberus operative.

“It's been far too long, Commander Shepard.” Miranda paused and rubbed her hand along the top of her sternum. “We live in interesting times.”

“A little too interesting.” Shepard narrowed her eyes at the woman suspiciously.

“I couldn't get anywhere near you when the Alliance had you locked up.” Miranda was saying as she led the commander toward the makeshift memorial wall in the area.

“Relieved of duty. It was complicated.” Shepard nodded. She still did not completely trust the woman. In her mind, it was a little too convenient that Miranda should show up now with Cerberus rampaging through the galaxy like rabid varren.

“I'm sure it was. I'm surprised they didn't court-marshal you. The Alliance isn't known for its flexibility.” the look on Miranda's face could have curdle milk.

“Doesn't matter now...” Shepard said as she looked up at the wall of photos. She realized it was a mixture of memorial and missing persons. _So many_...

“Shepard, about Earth....” Miranda began. She sounded almost lost.

The commander closed her eyes and bowed her head for a second. She did not turn to look at the other woman. Instead, her voice was barely more than a whisper when it came. “Countless people lost there lives within minutes. The Reapers are everything.....everything we feared....and so much more.”

“They should have listened to you a long time ago.” Miranda stepped to stand at her side. The next words out of her sounded sincere. “I'm sorry, Shepard.”

“What about you? What brings you here?” Shepard looked over her shoulder at the taller woman.

“I need to talk to a few people. Like you. The Citadel is a good place to meet....for now.” she began walking toward decon, expecting the commander would follow her. “What's the next move for the Alliance?”

“We have a plan, but it's a long shot.” Shepard admitted, her voice losing strength on the last words. She knew how implausible that plan really was, but she was determined to give it her best shot.

“Not surprising” Miranda s topped before entering the decon zone. “Shepard.... there's....something I wanted to mention.”

“What is it?” Shepard watched the woman turn and walk toward the stairs leading down into the waiting area.

“I haven't head from my sister, Oriana, for awhile. I'm getting worried.” Miranda blurted it out as she headed down those stairs. “I don't want to overreact, but.....well, there's a lot going on.”

“I thought we made sure she was safe.” Shepard said as she came to the bottom of the stairs and stopped before the other woman.

“We did. It's probably nothing, but......I just know my father is involved.” Miranda was looking around nervously.

“What happened?” Shepard's suspicion was turning to dread. She knew the woman was no longer working for Cerberus, but old grudges died hard.

“I don't know. Everything I had in place to make sure she was safe went dark.” Miranda admitted, sounding irritated at having to do so.

“What do you need from me?”

“I appreciate the offer, Shepard, but you have your hands full.” Miranda shifted uncomfortably as she leaned against a planter. “If I need a door kicked down, I know just who to call. But for now, I'll be fine.”

“Ok.” Shepard tried to keep the relieved sigh out of her voice and almost managed. “I understand.”

“I have to figure this out.” Miranda squirmed against the planter.

“It's been a long time. What happened to you?”

“I've been in hiding. Being on the run from just about everyone isn't as glamorous as it sounds.” Miranda grumbled.

“I didn't know.” Shepard admitted.

“It's alright. I knew there would be repercussions to walking away from Cerberus.”

“I imagine. You're a dangerous enemy.” the commander knew just how dangerous this particular woman could be. She had seen her in action. Annoying as she was, she had no desire to count Miranda as an enemy.

“I am.” and there was that smug attitude.

“If you think Oriana has disappeared, why do you think your father is involved?” the question had been nagging at her since Miranda mentioned it.

“I always knew where she was. She couldn't have just vanished. He has to be involved.” that sounded paranoid even for Miranda. “She's all he has left. He would stop at nothing to find her. I have a hunch what happened. I'll fill you in when I'm certain.”

“Have you had any run-ins with the Illusive Man?” Shepard could not resist asking that question. She desperately wanted to know that something, anything had hurt his oranization.

“Just once. He said it had been a _pleasure_ to work with me. But he needed to contain the situation.”

“'Contain the situation'? Sounds final.” Shepard narrowed her eyes at Miranda.

“It nearly was. He doesn't take rejection well.”

“No....he doesn't.”

“I'm calling in some favors while I'm here. Someone on the station will give me a tip on Oriana.” Miranda looked around nervously again.

Shepard realized she was either watching for that tip or trouble. “I've gotta get back to it.”

“And I should get out of sight.” Miranda admitted.

“Be careful.” Shepard felt compelled to add the sentiment.

“No promises.” Miranda said as she walked off.

Shepard watched her for a moment wondering what kind of trouble she was in for by dancing around that one again. Whatever it was, it could not be good. It never was with Miranda. Moving her sister to a safe location had nearly cost her part of her team.

Taking a cleansing breath, she went back up that short flight of stairs and walked through decon toward the elevator. She knew Garrus had mentioned heading for the lower docking bay. There was a refugee camp set up down there and some of his people were digging in. She meant to check on them, make sure they had the supplies they needed, at least for the time being.

As she stepped off the elevator and entered the area, she heard an argument carrying on. It was getting heated. The man sounded desperate and she knew the kinds of things people did out of desperation.

“You can't turn people away!” he was nearly shouting.

“Yes, we can. Tell your friends to move their ship out of the docking bay.” the dock officer said calmly.

“Wait, please, my family's on that ship. Just let them land. I'll pay!” he begged.

“This isn't about money. The wards are already at capacity for refugees. There's just no room.” the woman tried to reason with him.

“You let asari in here earlier!” he snapped.

“That's back when we had space!” she snapped back at him.

“Where's my family supposed to go?” he growled sounding ready to meltdown.

“I don't know, alright. But they can't land here.” she ducked her head and made a point of looking at the monitor before her.

Shepard drew close enough to say something to the woman, excusing herself between some of those still waiting. “You sure you can't squeeze in a few more people, Officer?”

“And who the hell are you?” the woman all but snarled at her before looking her in the face. The moment of recognition was priceless as she backed down meekly. “Oh. Commander Shepard. I..uh...if that's what you think, I'll..uh...I'll find 'em some room.”

“So my family can dock?” the man asked sounding a bit more calm.

“Commander Shepard says your family is cleared. Just tell them to hurry.” the officer said crisply.

“I...” the man turned toward her, looking down at her with gratitude in his eyes. “Thank you, Commander. Thank you so much.”

Shepard smiled and nodded at him as the crowd opened up for her to make her way out. She knew there were others who were waiting to get in. Most of them would now that the docking officer knew she was close.

As she walked through the docking bay, she noted all the people of different races virtually rubbing shoulders in the confined space. _So many, but there are hundreds of thousands more out there already dead or dying. It has to stop.._...

She made her way through a couple of those areas, looking the desperate and forlorn in the eyes. These were the people she was trying to save, human, asari, batarian, turian. It did not matter what their species. Each of them was depending on her to stop the Reapers. It was a heavy burden, the heaviest she had ever carried. She only hoped she could find a way to do what was being asked of her.

Shepard nearly walked by an asari med bay when she noticed a familiar figure. She smiled and called to the woman. “Yeoman Kelly Chambers.”

“Shepard!” the woman turned and lit up like a Christmas tree. “It's really you. I could just hug you.”

“It's good to see you too, Kelly.” Shepard said as she embraced the younger woman.

“I've been so worried.” Kelly let out a sigh. “Without my Cerberus contacts, I had no way of knowing if you'd survived the invasion.”

“You left Cerberus?” Shepard asked almost feeling a bit giddy about TIM losing at least one more operative.

“Working with you opened my eyes. I couldn't stay with them after seeing some of the things they had done, things they're still doing.” Kelly answered.

Shepard did not need to think her next offer over. “Come back to the Normandy.”

“Please believe me; I want nothing more than to work with you again, but....I can't.” Kelly said sadly. “Ever since the Collectors abducted us.... I relive it every night. I see it all in my nightmares, sometimes more vividly than the waking world. Being stuffed in that tube,....it was like being in a coffin. Then the people started melting, God.....”

“Hey, it's ok.” Shepard said softly, putting her arms around the sobbing woman again.

“I'm fine....I just....I can't step back onto the Normandy again. I'm sorry.”

“Don't be.” Shepard nodded as she stepped back a slight distance.

“I'm making a difference here anyway. I should stay where I can do the most good. I studied psychology for a reason... This has to be it.”

“Cerberus doesn't like people going AWOL.”

“They don't, but they have more important things to worry about than me.” Kelly admitted.

The part that nagged in the background to cut and run when she was dealing with Cerberus stepped to the forefront for just a moment. “Don't take chances with Cerberus. Change your look. Change your name. Get new identification.”

“That takes time and people here need my help now.”

“Do it, Kelly.” Shepard gave her an order. She knew it was an order, but that part of her that screamed something bad was going to happen would not leave her be until she gave in.

“Ok, I will. If you think I should.” Kelly agreed reluctantly. “I'm so glad you made if off Earth. I saved your fish. I'll send them back to you. Nobody was gonna take care of them while you were in custody.”

_Oh, god....the fish.._.. Shepard grumbled to herself and smiled with a nod at Kelly. She had lost count of the fish she had flushed. Too many to be sure.

“I have to run. Be careful.” and just like that, the girl jogged off.


	66. Turian Refuge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus is dealing with the supply chain running to the turian refugee section of the docking bay.

The second they docked with the Citadel, Victus had all but ordered him to see to the turian refugees there. He had meant to look in on them anyway, but not directly. Now he found himself in the heart of the refuge glaring at Aptus.

“Let's check on those medi-gel supplies.” it was more than a suggestion.

“Yes, sir.” Aptus said.

“And have we heard anything from the hospital?” Garrus crossed his arms as he asked the man. He was growing impatient with Aptus and his inability to perform even the simplest of tasks here.

“The surgeons there are all busy.” Aptus said blandly.

“Keep on it. Some of these wounded don't have much time.” Garrus growled at him.

Aptus handed him a data pad and he glared down at it. A list of supplies scrolled up it as he thumbed the screen. Most of those were things they were in need of. The smaller list was what they already had. Not enough by far.

Flicking to the next screen, he sighed. A casualty report scrolled before his eyes. Millions already lost. Millions more dying every hour. Fifteen thousand years of civilization was being reduced to body strewn rubble. His world was being razed to the ground.

Glancing up, he took a double take as he spotted Shepard heading his way. He let out a tired sigh as he laid the data pad aside and stepped up to her. “Shepard.”

Garrus watched her glance around at the refuge and its occupants, most of which were laid out on cots. When her eyes came back to his, she asked, “What's happening?”

“We convinced the Council to accept our wounded.... Nowhere else to go.” he tilted his head to the side. The distress, he knew, must be plain on his face to her. They had been together long enough now that she read his face as easily as that of one of her own people.

“How bad is this?” she asked him quietly.

“More dead than injured. Eighty-five percent killed in action.....” he shook his head with another tired sigh. “We'll need a morgue soon. Not a lot of flesh wounds when you're fighting Reapers.”

The flesh between her brows pinched together to form a crease he was sure was going to deepen with stress and age as she frowned. “The casualties are that high?”

“Our front-line units are being wiped out whole platoons at a time. A single Reaper can destroy nine or ten of them in a single attack.” his voice had lost any edge it might have had. The casualty reports were overwhelming.

“That's not war, it's slaughter.” Shepard, her voice soft and full of outrage.

Garrus nodded and turned away to pick that data pad back up. His voice was subdued when he spoke again. “They're called Reapers for a reason, and these guys found out why.”

“Do what you can for them.” Shepard nodded. “I'll use my Spectre status to authorize whatever you need.”

“A few of them _might_ get back on their feet, but the rest....” he looked to one of the cots coated in turian blood. “Sympathy is about all we can offer.”

“Any sign of your family?” Shepard asked, eyes narrowed and clearly concerned.

“Not yet, but I keep hoping.” he stepped a little closer to her, close enough that she had to look up and the ceiling lights caught her face harshly. From the drawn look to her face, he wondered if she had actually slept the night before. “What about you? I'm starting to see some wear and tear.”

“I won't lie – it's been rough seeing all this...”

“Well, don't forget to come up for air. And not just because all these people need you.” he did not care who saw or what they thought as he cupped the ink scripted side of her face, covering it in a gloved hand. “Because  _ I _ need you.”

Shepard smiled up at him and cupped his hand with hers. The stress of the refugee camps seemed to simply melt away from her face with that smile. His heart skipped at the thought that he could have that kind of affect on her. He dipped his head to hers and let out a deep breath. The simple things, those were what mattered in those stolen seconds. When she left, he would be faced with the difficulties of the camp once more. At least there was a VI nearby. Though he found it a bit creepy, it almost felt as if she were at his side, supporting him in his efforts.

“I've gotta go. You need that authorization.” Shepard finally stepped back from him, her hand still holding his for a moment before stepping back toward the opening between containers.

The moment she was out of sight, he glanced back at that data pad. There were a couple of things left for him to do, but most were pending authorization. He meant to stay a little longer then go check on Thane. He had heard the drell was on the hospital level using an assumed name. This might be the last chance he had to see his friend, he realized. Once hospitalized with Keplar's Syndrome, most drell did not last long.


	67. Clearing the Air

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard visits Kaidan in the hospital only be to forced to explain herself to him.
> 
> Realistic AU for Kaidan's personality type. Warning: potential abusive triggers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shepard and Garrus pov swaps.

When Shepard left Garrus in the turian refuge she hit the Spectre office and sent off several authorizations in response to requests with his seal on them. It was quick, but necessary work. Her part done there, she sighed and headed for the elevator. As much as she really did not want to, she needed to pay a visit to Kaidan. He had asked her to come the moment one of the staff had let him know she was on the station. There were several messages on her terminal from him, all unopened. As his commanding officer, or former commander, it was her duty to check in on his progress at least. After all, he had nearly been killed on her watch.

It was a relatively short trip to his room. When the door slid open, Udina was on his way out. A sour look was pinned to his face. She was convinced that must be his natural expression by this point.

“Shepard.” he acknowledged her.

“Udina.” she returned the acknowledgment as she stepped past him. To Kaidan, as he sat up, she casually said, “Hey.”

“Shepard, hey. You just missed snack time – actually that's probably a good thing. Thanks for coming.” as he resettled himself, she noticed the wires were gone.

“You asked, I came.” she said distantly. Out of curiosity she asked. “What did Udina want? Still offering the Spectre position?”

“Yeah... huge responsibility, big honor... I just need to be sure.” Kaidan confirmed. “I'm so ready to get out of here, Shepard. You have no idea. I'm tied to this bed by red tape for awhile yet though.”

“You almost died on my watch. It was horrible to watch.” Shepard admitted. She might not love him anymore, but some small part of her still considered him a friend.

“After Horizon, after Mars...I just wanna make sure – you and me, are we good?” Kaidan asked.

Shepard sighed. She really did not want to have this conversation right then. “You and me....we _can_ butt heads, but for now....yeah, we're good.”

“I'll take that.” he said and covered the hand she had rested on the railing with his own. His expression soured when she withdrew that hand and folded it in her lap.

“Was there another reason you wanted me to come?” Shepard asked suspiciously. She should have realized he was going to make a pass at her. It was just so...'Kaidan'. That jealously possessive streak was hardwired into his nature.

“Yeah. Maybe...” he shrugged, glancing back up at her face. His eyes paused on her shoulder and narrowed angrily. The upper most edge of the scar was explosed. “Was there something between you and Garrus?”

“Look, Kaidan... You really shut me down on Horizon. You questioned my loyalties, called me a _traitor_ and threw what we had away. _You_ did that, and it cost _me_.” She sighed and rubbed her face. “Garrus was there. He was there when nobody else was. He kept me centered, balanced and focused on what needed to be done. He's been there through it all...and he accepted me unconditionally.”

“And that's what I'm asking. _Is_ there something between the two of you. Are you _cheating_ on me? You _are_ , aren't you? You're sleeping with that....that..... _skullface!_ ” the only thing keeping Kaidan in that bed were his healing injuries. His glare and tone sharpened. “After I told you what happened with Commander Vyrnnus.....! I can't _believe_ the woman I _loved_ would do something like that, but.....maybe you aren't really Shepard, after all.”

Shepard stood up, paced a few feet and turned to glare at him. She could not believe she was hearing that kind of racial slur out of him. Kaidan, who had never seemed the xenophobe the entire time she had known him. _But maybe I never really knew him_ , she reminded herself angrily. Kaidan would have been a smear on the wall if she had not kept her biotics in check. There were a number of different ways she could handle the situation. She chose the most diplomatic of them. For the moment.

Rounding on him, temper barely reigned in, Shepard said very quietly, “You don't get to talk about Garrus or _any other_ turian like that. They are our _allies_ and right now, they need us. Palaven is _burning_ , Menae isn't far behind it. Half their military, _half_ the _strongest_ military in the galaxy, is _gone_ , wiped out by the Reapers. So I don't want to hear another derogatory word out of your mouth about _any_ of our _non-human_ allies. Is that clear, Major Alenko?”

“I out rank you, Commander....,” Kaidan grumbled indignantly.

“I don't give a damn about Alliance rank, Kaidan. I'm a council Spectre, above military rank.” she turned toward the door intending to leave with that. When the door whooshed open she turned back and growled. “Garrus and I...are _not_ your concern...”

“What about you and me, Shepard?” Kaidan asked as she was about to step out of the room.

“You and me? There _is_ no you and me, Kaidan.” Shepard's anger was brewing just below the surface screaming to explode.

“Shepard....” Kaidan gasped as if he was only just realizing exactly what he had done. “Shepard, wait!”

Ignoring him, she stepped through the door and spotted Garrus heading in her general direction. When the turian saw her, he picked up his pace with a bit more determination. She had not expected Kaidan to grab her arm and prevent her from leaving so forcefully. When the man swung her around, she caught the murderous look that settled onto the turian's face as he stopped in his tracks.

“You're _not_ leaving yet. We're not done. I'll be _damned_ if I let you go running into the arms of a _turian_!” Kaidan snapped at her as she staggered around to face him. He was not gentle with his grip on her arm.

*

Garrus stopped in his tracks when he saw Kaidan stumble out the door behind Shepard. When the man grabbed her arm and forced her around to face him, the turian clamped his mandibles to his jaw in anger. His visor picked up Shepard's biorhythms clearly. She was angry, but he could tell that by the look on her face. Clearly she was none too pleased with how Kaidan was manhandling her.

Without a second thought, Garrus took a determined step toward the pair. _This is going to end...now_. He would not stand by and watch as his girlfriend was abused by her ex. His long legs gobbled up the distance between them and he stopped within arm's reach.

“Everything alright, Shepard?” he asked as casually as he could. Anger barely restrained as he gave the human male a murderous glare.

“Kaidan. Let. Go.” Shepard snarled at the human before her.

“I don't think so,” he growled and jerked her arm. “at least not until I get some real answers.”

“You should _really_ let her go, Kaidan.” Garrus said quietly.

“Butt out, Garrus.” Kaidan barked.

“I won't ask a second time.” Garrus growled, allowing his sub-harmonics to snarl through his voice.

“This doesn't concern you!” Kaidan snapped as he attempted to haul Shepard back into the privacy of his room.

“ _There's....._ where you're wrong. It _does_ concern me. That's my _bondmate_ you have your hands on.” Garrus maintained his casual tone as much as he could.

It did the trick. Kaidan relaxed his grip on Shepard's arm in shock and she jerked free of him. The collar of her shirt dipping just enough for the human male to see the turian bond scar high on her shoulder. She slipped her other arm around Garrus' waist as he tucked her close and glared at Kaidan. The human had yet to close his mouth even as they moved just out of his reach.

“You alright, ma-kee-sa?” Garrus asked purposely loud enough for Kaidan to hear. The words, an endearment in his native language, slipped past their translators without a proper translation.

“I've had enough of this hospital. Let's just go.” Shepard grumbled as she shot Kaidan another defiant glare.

Once they were safely in the elevator, Shepard crossed her arms and leaned against one wall. “Bondmate, huh?”

“Uh..hmm...right. Best I could think of. It threw him long enough to let you go.” Garrus stated, his casual manor betraying how utterly destroyed his nerves really were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've written Kaidan's reaction here true to his actual personality type. It may not be completely cannon, but this is true to the character flaws he exhibits all through ME2 and ME3. His cannon responses and reactions are all kinds of out in left field and disjointed in parts of the game. We do see how he is completely unable to let go when he pops up after the coup [if he survives] wishing to return to the Normandy. True to character, he would see that as a way to force Shepard to accept him by placing himself in her space regularly. [yay for psycho analysis].
> 
> [Speaking from personal experience with men like Kaidan.... Suspicion leads to jealousy - leads to unhealthy possessiveness - leads to abusive behavior. It's generally well hidden until it's too late. They can't break the chain because they can't see the chain.]


	68. A One-Turian Kind of Woman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus takes Shepard up to the top of the Presidium.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still running a bit AU. I think this actually came a little later on in the game, but it feels right after the last confrontation.

“Come on....” Garrus took her hand the moment the elevator stopped on the docking ring.

“What did you have in mind?” she asked suspiciously.

“Something that doesn't involve fighting Reapers...or...well....anyone else.”

“I don't think they've conquered the bar yet.” she said with a half laugh.

“I already scoped it out, but.....then I thought 'if this _was_ my last day alive, I'd actually like to remember it'.” he said, glancing at the waiting cab.

“So?” Shepard asked.

“So.... I had an idea.” he headed toward that cab now and tapped in a code on the transit panel.

Garrus stepped back as the cab was unlocked and the door swung up. He motioned for her to get in while he stepped around to the other side. _Alright, I'm game..._ she thought as she stepped in and sat in the bucket seat.

Half a heartbeat later, he had the cab in the air, guiding it well above standard traffic. She raised a brow at that. What he was doing was not strictly legal. Her turian never actually broke the law, bent it, yes, but never broke it.

“Where we goin'?” Shepard asked, brows still raised.

“Somewhere we're not supposed to.” he answered smoothly, only glancing at her for a few seconds.

Shepard smiled and eased herself back into the seat, looking out the window. There was a devious edge to her voice. “Now you're talkin'.”

“Ever have that one thing you always wanted to do before you died, Shepard?” he asked out of the blue.

“I woke up with a turian next to me this morning...” Shepard said coyly.

“Still trying to make me blush, huh?” he asked, his mandibles widening faintly as he glanced her way.

“Until it works.” she smiled at him and rested her hand on his knee. “So what's your one thing?”

“The whole time I worked at C-Sec, I'd stare up at the top of the Presidium and say to myself, ' _I_ wanna go up there'. But I never did. There were a hundred and thirty-seven regulations telling me I couldn't.” Garrus explained.

Shepard smiled at him skeptically. “So you got them changed?”

“No...” he kept his eyes on their current flight path. “Now I just don't give a damn.”

A few seconds later, he brought the cab up to one of the cross-beams and landed it gently on it. As he got out, he said. “I figured it's time to do something stupid just for the hell of it. Might be the last chance we ever get.”

Stepping out of the cab herself, Shepard gazed down at the Presidium reservoir in awe. “It's incredible.”

“I'd be lying if I said I didn't hope it would inspire a certain.....mood.” Garrus turned toward her, stepping close.

“Something on your mind?” she asked innocently. Some part of her knew there was something big coming of this little excursion.

“It seemed like you needed time....to...ff...figure _us_ out.” he stepped into her space and looked down at her intensely. “Are you ready to be...a....one-turian kind of woman?”

Shepard stood there silently for a moment trying to read the expression on his face. She thought, in their time together, she had seen them all. Her heart was pounding when she realized this was it. This was his way of proposing something more permanent. “The only thing that made leaving Earth bearable was knowing you were out there somewhere.”

“I felt the same way. The worst part about the galaxy going to hell would have been never getting to see _you_ again.” the intensity just seemed to increase in his gaze as he spoke.

“Well here I am. Exactly where I wanna be.” she let out a nervous breath. Stepping as close to him as she could, she locked gazes with him. Her hands came to rest on the rim of his armored cowl. The thought pinged around her head nearly as hard as her heart was beating as she lost herself in those crystal blue eyes for several long seconds. She would be the one to say it first, to make that promise they were both dancing around. “I love you, Garrus Vakarian.”

“Wow...” his lower eyelids scrunched up just a bit with the widening of his mandibles. “The vids Joker gave me....well...they never got this far. There _was_ the part about sleeping together, but this...uh...I don't...”

She smiled at his squirming and stood up on her tiptoes to kiss him. She whispered as she withdrew, “Who needs a _vid_ when you've got _me_?”

Garrus startled her for a second when his arms suddenly locked around her waist. The smile on his face was nearly predatory as he dipped her and pressed his mouth plates to her lips in his version of a kiss. She had to admit, he was getting good at that. Good enough that he set her heart to hammering wildly in her chest.

“Now, before we head back...there is one thing we're going to settle. Once and for all.” he said as he raised her back up and stepped away. Pulling out his sniper rifle, he checked the safety. “Not saying you don't know how to handle a gun – just saying some of us know how to make it _dance_.”

Shepard smiled at the challenge when he tossed it to her. This had been an ongoing thing between them almost from the beginning. The competition was fun, to say the least. She looked up at him as he continued with a canister in his hand. “So, let's find out who's _really_ the best shot.”

“There are a few people in the galaxy who've seen me in action, Garrus. They seemed impressed.”

“Yeah, but....I've actually seen you...dance, Shepard. No comment.”

“Alright, Vakarian. You're going down.” she smiled as she flipped the safety off.

“Don't worry, I loaded it with practice slugs....for when you miss.” he snarked just before throwing the canister. She fired and blew the thing quickly, smiling at his next comment. “That was an easy one. Let you build up your confidence. Long-range, I wrote the book, nobody alive can do this... Not even....Commander Shepard. Give me a tough one.”

She caught the next canister and handed him the rifle. A moment later, she wound up to pitch the thing out into the air. He laughed when he blew it apart. “I said a tough one.”

“Step aside...” she said with a little attitude and a smile as she took up the rifle. He was waiting for her, she realized as she glanced at him. “Do it.”

Garrus wound up and pitched it out as far as he could with a grunt. Shepard took careful aim and shifted the cross-hairs just a fraction. Firing the rifle, she missed, just as she had planned to do. Her heart beat against her ribs with a thrill as she watched him dance around like a dork.

“I'm Garrus Vakarian and this is now my _favorite_ spot on the Citadel.”

“It's windy up here.” Shepard waved at the open space.

“There, there...it's ok.” Garrus wrapped his arm around her then. “I know there are..... _other_ things...you're good at.”

“Uh-huh...We've got one more thing to do here on the Citadel before we leave.” Shepard stated as she took his hand and led him back to the cab.

“What's that?” he asked curiously.

“You'll see.” she said as she climbed back into the car.


	69. Ma-Kee-Sa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard leads Garrus to a completely unexpected destination after their 'date' on the Presidium.

“Where are we going, Shepard?” Garrus asked suspiciously as they stepped off the elevator onto the embassies level.

The smile she gave him when she glanced his way sent a thrill through the very core of his being. There was an odd glint in her eyes when she finally answered. “I thought we'd make this cross-species liaison a bit more....official. With this war and so much uncertainty in the galaxy, we could both use a little stability.”

_Spirits....the paperwork she mentioned six months ago.... Crap...she's really gonna do it.... Are you honestly ready for this, Vakarian...?_ It dawned on him exactly where they were headed then. Registration and Embassy Affairs dealt with everything from missing military personnel files to bonding contracts. The realization of what was on her mind truly hit him an instant before they stopped at the counter. One of the attendants noticed them a heartbeat later.

“Can I help you?” the asari behind the counter asked politely.

“Protocol, procedure and documentation for cross-species bonding....” Shepard began with not a single hint of uncertainty in her voice.

The asari glanced between the two of them as her mouth dropped open slightly. “For the two of _you_? There has never been a turian/human bonding. I'm not even sure where to begin with the bureaucratic red tape.”

“Can you draw the papers up or not?” Shepard asked, resting her knuckles on the counter.

“Well, I could draw up the asari/turian contract and make some alterations to facilitate a human....but it'll take time....” the asari began as she rubbed the back of her neck.

Garrus closed his eyes for a second, unable to even glance at Shepard. He had not been entirely sure she would accept his proposal up on the Presidium in the first place. Now, less than an hour later, she was negotiating the legal aspects of their potential bonding as his heart hammered wildly against his keel bone. He could scarcely breathe as he stood there and swayed for a minute or two.

“Look, we don't have a lot of time. What if I gave you Spectre authorization on the additions to the human co-contract? Could we do this today?” Shepard asked casually.

The asari took a second look at the human before her and gasped, “Commander _Shepard!_ Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you. Of course! If you were to authorize such a contract, I see no problem in drawing up the documents with the necessary changes. It might even be processed today and become a legally binding contract within the next 48 hours. Any formal or celebratory function after that would be entirely up to the two of you.”

“Perfect. Make the necessary provisions and send them to my omni-tool. I'll be waiting right over there.” Shepard pointed toward the big bay window looking out on the Presidium reservoir.

The asari nodded and Shepard drew Garrus with her toward the window. He followed her in stunned silence. When they stopped by the window, he looked down at the small human woman who kept turning his world upside down in so many wonderful ways.

“So.....uh......bonding? You sure you.....uh.....hmm.....you wanna do this?” Garrus stammered as he took both of her hands in his.

“We're in this till the end, remember...” Shepard reminded him and he saw absolutely no doubt in her eyes. Then she rubbed a hand over the scar of his bite on her shoulder. “We're just making this official anyway.”

Relaxing a bit, he nodded. “It _will_ get Major Asshole Alenko off your back.”

“That's just a perk. You sure you really wanna do this? We don't have to fill out the paperwork now......if you're not ready.....” she asked and seemed to regret the question as soon as it left her lips.

Garrus thought about it for barely a minute as he locked eyes with her. It was moving along faster than he had originally imagined it might, but she was right. The war did not give them the luxury of waiting. They could all die tomorrow.

Finally, he nodded and cupped either side of her face in his hands when he brought his plated brow down to meet hers. “I want this....hmm...more than I thought.... And you're right, we both need this stability.”

“Good...” she closed her eyes and breathed with a faint smile.

As they waited, he thought of his father and sister. Solana was likely going to string him up by his leg spurs when she found out. His father was the wildcard. He might well rage at him for being impulsive. Then again, he might insist on some sort of ceremony in order to recognize Shepard as an official member of the Vakarian clan with all the rights and privileges that went with it. He thought the latter was likely the most realistic. Of course, there would still be some yelling. There always was when he made spur of the moment decisions. He only hoped they had made it off Palaven.

They waited another twenty or so minutes before Shepard's omni-tool pinged. She punched in a few authorization codes and her Spectre seal, sending the documents back to the asari. Barely three minutes later she called them back to the desk. She smiled at them brightly as she placed the data pads on the counter before each of them. Turning to Shepard, she started with her portion of the contract.

“You understand that this is a legal and binding contract between yourself and Mr. Vakarian. The finalized documents resulting from this transaction will be the equivalent of a human marriage contract. If this is your wish.....sign here,...here and.....here.” she pointed out the places to sign.

Shepard took up the stylus and signed her name to it without hesitation. For good measure, she even added her Spectre seal. She glanced at Garrus afterward with a smile, blowing out her cheeks in the release of a nervous breath.

The asari turned to Garrus and began the explanation of his side of the contract. “You understand that this is a legal and binding contract between yourself and Miss Shepard. The finalized documents resulting from this transaction will be the equivalent of a turian bonding contract. If this is your wish.....sign here, here and here.”

Garrus glanced at Shepard with a half-lidded expression before he jotted down the turian script that passed for his signature. He added the seal that represented his clan and rank to the last section. Swallowing compulsively, his mandibles fluttered slightly a couple of times with nerves as he looked up at the asari behind the counter. Somehow he was sure he must look completely terrified.

“Congratulations to the two of you. Your contract has been forwarded to the council. May the Goddess smile upon your union.” the asari said politely.

“Can you send a couple of copies of the contract to these?” Shepard asked as she passed a pair of 'dog tags' across the counter, each on fine steel chains.

The asari looked them over for a moment and nodded. “These are data storage tags. It's a very good idea....in case the main data base is lost.”

Taking the tags to a device off to her right, she lingered over it for a few moments. It was not long before she returned to the counter with the tags. She handed one to Shepard and the other to Garrus with a smile and a nod. “These will be automatically updated with the finalized copies as soon as they clear.”

The turian watched Shepard loop hers over her head and allow the tag to settle on her breastbone. A few seconds later he carefully tucked his inside the neckline of the undersuit against the base of his throat. He smiled at her questioning look with his head cocked to the side.

“I don't want to lose it....” he answered her unspoken question softly. In reality, he wanted to keep it as close to him as he could manage. Later, he would allow it to rest over his keel, close to his heart. He had not realized how important one document could be to him until that instant. The chain was cold at first until it settled into place. His mandibles twitched at the chill.

As they stepped away from the counter, Shepard looped her arm through his. He could see the smile on her face out of the corner of his eye. He almost felt drunk on the whole experience. It did not seem real.

“So....what does 'ma-kee-sa' mean anyway?” Shepard asked suddenly in a quiet voice.

“Hmmmm,” he hummed, his mandibles spreading in a wide smile as they headed back toward the elevator.

“Come on, Vakarian.... If you don't tell me, I'm just gonna look it up on the extranet.” she grumbled at him, but she was still smiling. “I'd rather hear it from you...”

“The closest translations would be...uh...” he stopped, pulling her close and leaned in near her ear to whisper the meaning before pulling away to continue toward the elevator. “....'my beloved'.... but...uh....that's not...... _quite_ right... It just doesn't translate, Shepard...”

Shepard smiled up at him as they stepped into the elevator. “I like it....”

“How do you think the rest of the team will react to this?” Garrus asked quietly as the elevator took them to the docking ring.

Shepard groaned and facepalmed. “They'll wanna celebrate.”

“Hmm...could be good for morale.” was all he said to that. If he had been human, the smile spread across his mandibles would have been classically cheesy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick and sloppy, that's how they pushed this. Somewhere down the line, they'll likely have some kind of wedding ceremony. =P


	70. Reactions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard is confronted by the reactions of two of her crew when she boards the Normandy.

The second Shepard entered the airlock, Liara was virtually blocking her path. The asari stood there, arms crossed with a sour expression on her face. _Uuuhhh...shit,.....here it comes..._. the commander sighed to herself. She knew just as sure as she was about to take her next breath that the 'Shadow Broker' had seen that contract pass through Embassy Affairs.

“Were you even going to bother telling me?” Liara asked tersely.

“Yeah,..... look, Liara,....it was kind of.....spur of the moment?” Shepard explained, a slight twitch to her left brow as she narrowed her eyes.

“Hey, is it true? Did you and Garrus really just get _married?_ ” Joker asked, leaning against the door frame leading into the cockpit. Then he grumbled. “Didn't even get an invite, damn.”

“Does _everybody_ know?” Shepard grumbled, eyeing the pair suspiciously. “We signed some papers. They're not even legal yet.”

“Are you _sure_ about that?” Liara asked as she pulled some information up on her omni-tool. Shepard's omni-tool pinged a few seconds later. “The embassy passed it straight to Victus. He's already forwarded the documents to the Council, the Hierarchy _and_ the Alliance. All with his seal as the Primarch of Palaven. He included a very strongly worded note of encouragement to all parties concerned.”

Shepard opened her omni-tool and scanned the information that was scrolling across the holo-screen. The small data storage tag issued a tiny beep as she confirmed reception of the message. 'Document Update Complete' flashed across that tiny screen just before she closed her tool. A breath escaped her quietly at the signature that was attached.

“I...um....I guess it's....legal now...” she locked eyes with the asari. “Anderson approved it personally on behalf of the Alliance.”

“The Council will file it as the standard for human/turian bonding contracts with your Spectre seal attached to it. I'd say that's as 'legal' as it gets. You and Garrus are officially bonded.” the smile that had been threatening to break finally spread across the asari's face. “We should celebrate.”

Shepard simply shook her head as she stepped past the blue woman and headed toward the CIC and elevator beyond. She and Garrus needed a little time to adjust before they took off for the next mission. A party was probably not going to be the best way to do that.

“Oh, come on, Shepard! It's not every day you get married.” the asari was following her.

Shepard shot a glare over her shoulder at the woman before she entered the elevator. “It's not happening, Liara.”

The last she saw of the asari before the doors slid shut was her smiling face as she chewed thoughtfully on her bottom lip. _Oh, god, she's gonna do it anyway_. Shepard shook her head and began to wonder if some sort of 'reception' might not be a decent enough idea, at least for the crew. She was fairly certain there would be something with the turian's family, if all went well with them. He had yet to hear from them and that was worrying. A part of her knew that if Castis was anything like his son, he would survive and drag his daughter along for the ride. It was just a matter of time before Garrus heard from them.

When the elevator finally stopped at her cabin level, she sent a message off to Liara.

_Sender: shepard.cmdr@alliance.39.44.852_

_Recipient: shadow.broker@h_ _agalaz.23.92.108_

_Fine.....but we're waiting until the Normand puts in for official shore leave. We need Tali...and Wrex. You know what will happen if we leave either of them out. Maybe Mordin too._

_Sender: shadow.broker@h_ _agalaz.23.92.108_

_Recipient: shepard.cmdr@alliance.39.44.852_

_You're certain?_

_Sender: shepard.cmdr@alliance.39.44.852_

_Recipient: shadow.broker@h_ _agalaz.23.92.108_

_No, but you'll do it anyway. Just make sure the timing is.....appropriate._

_Sender: shepard.cmdr@alliance.39.44.852_

_Recipient: shadow.broker@h_ _agalaz.23.92.108_

_Alright. You have my word, Commander._

Taking a deep breath, Shepard stepped off the elevator and headed into her quarters. Glancing at the fish tank, she grimaced. Kelly had sent the fish, as promised, but without the VI feeder they were already starting to suffer for it. She let that breath out and punched a couple of buttons on the manual feeder in the hopes that the gilled denizens of her tank would not become floaters.

“Hey, Lola!” Vega's voice came over her omni-tool and she rolled her eyes. “I hear you and Scars tied the knot. Guess I was right back on Earth. That is a turian bonding mark. Haha, I won the bet!”

“Excuse me? What bet?” Shepard grumbled.

“Oh, damn, you didn't know? The whole crew's been betting how long it would take you two to finally bond. I won. Lucky guns, lucky, lucky....hahaha.”

“Just.....go back to your barbells, Vega.” Shepard sighed in frustration and muted her omni-tool.

Heading over to the hamster, she checked his food and water supply before turning and walking down into the main living area. It seemed empty without Garrus there, but she knew he would be returning later on. The rest of his personal gear needed to be moved in soon. At least he need not worry about what the primarch would think about their 'liaison'. The man clearly already knew since he had forwarded the bonding contract all over the galaxy.

Bonded, married, or however she wanted to look at it. She really had not thought it through before taking that step. Now that she had time to breathe, she realized there really was no need to think it through. It was the right thing to do. According to turian custom, they were bonded the moment Garrus marked her anyway. The documents were just a formality.

Smiling to herself, she sat down on the edge of the bed. There was a good chance she might get an hour or so of sleep in before the turian returned to the Normandy. As soon as he was back aboard, they would leave dock and head out. There was still a galaxy to save, after all.


	71. Big Toys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus investigates the 'gift' Jack has left for him in the warehouse.

“I've got a couple of things to see to here.....” Garrus indicated the docks with a tilt of his head as they stopped before the Normandy's airlock.

“Meet in the mess hall later?” Shepard asked as she interlaced her fingers with his for a moment.

“Count on it.” he murmured as he ducked his head down to meet hers briefly.

The second she turned and entered the airlock, he let out a nervous breath. _Spirits....did we really just....do....that? So much for not having a human fetish, Vakarian. You're married to her now. Married.....to Commander Shepard. Sweet spirits,..... you know you're dead, right? You know you died on Omega and this is just your version of heaven........because......it just can't get any better than this. Well, maybe...a beach somewhere with a couple of kids playing in the sand....hmmm._

Garrus knew the kids would not be theirs biologically, but there were any number of options available to them. They just needed to win this damn war first. He might have walked around with his head stuck in the clouds the rest of the day if he did not have more pressing matters to attend to. The first thing he meant to do was to check in with Aptus. Those supplies needed to be brought into the turian section of the refugee camp. Without them, most of those sprawled across the cots would not make it to be seen by the surgeons.

It did not take him long to confirm what he already suspected. Aptus was much more competent than he had originally given him credit for. The man was on top of the situation and clearly in his element. Without a superior standing over him, he had stepped up and taken charge. The best part was discovering that the man really was leadership material after all. As soon as he confirmed that a few of the more critical cases had already been moved to the hospital level, Garrus left him to it.

As he headed for the warehouse on Zakera Ward, he wondered if he really wanted to see whatever it was that Jack had left there for him. There were memories attached to the warehouse district and not all of them good. He and Shepard had chased down Fade here and ultimately Sidonis. They had been at odds then. It had taken weeks to reconcile their differences of opinion. He had nearly left the Normandy over the anger and resentment. If not for Lilfrey talking him out of it, he would have. He would never have known just how much love Shepard could bring into his life if he had. _I owe Lilfrey a whole case of horosk_.

The moment he stepped into the warehouse, an attendant came up to him with a data pad. He was checking something on it and glancing at Garrus regularly. “You must be Garrus Vakarian.”

Garrus nodded, realizing this human male had been waiting for him. “You have something stored here for me?”

“We do, yes. If you'll follow me, please.” the man said and turned on his heel.

The human lead him deeper into a section of the warehouse he had not been in. It was a relief to realize this thing Jack had left was not stored somewhere he had charged through after Sidonis. They twisted through a maze of crates and containers until they came to a wide open section with a Ymir mech standing in the middle. The man checked the ticket on the mech against his data pad for a moment.

“Here we are. I just need your signature....right here.” the data pad was shoved into his hands with a finger pointing at the line.

“There must be some mistake....” Garrus began.

“No mistake, sir. This is the unit stored here by one Jacqueline Naught for one Garrus Vakarian.”

Garrus frowned at him and continued to question the man. He even went so far as to describe Jack. “Human? So high? Lots of tattoos....?”

“And a nasty attitude, yes, that's her.” the man nodded.

“Alright...” Garrus nodded and signed for the mech.

The moment the man turned and left, Garrus began inspecting the 'giant walking gun'. He began to feel like a little kid with a new toy. Peeking inside, he realized the controls had been heavily modified to work universally. Letting out a low reedy sounding whistle at that, he examined the seat closer. It would still be somewhat uncomfortable for his structure, but he could make due.

Cautiously, he climbed in and settled himself into that seat. His leg spurs were the problem. The padding was not made to accommodate them. His mandibles still spread in a huge smile. The kinks in his knees would be worth it even if all he did with the thing was a little target practice. After a few seconds of settling in, he poked a couple of buttons near his right hand and brought the canopy down.

“ _Spirits!_ ” he wheezed and pressed himself as far into the seat as he could go when the small rachni suddenly bounced off his plated brow. It dangled before his eyes and twitched unnaturally. His heart raced at FTL for several long seconds until he realized it was rubber. “Hmmm.....I'm...gonna _kill_ her!”

When his heart rate finally returned to normal, he saw the piece of paper sticking to the upper part of the canopy. Reaching up, he pulled it down and looked it over. It was a note in an elegant hand, not what he would expect from the psychotic biotic.

_I can't wait to see your face when that rubber spider bounces off your head. Say cheese for the camera, Garrus. Have fun with the mech. It's yours, rachni and all. By the way, tell Shepard she better make an honest turian of you soon._

_See ya,_

_Jack._

“I'll get you back, Jack. Just wait.” he grumbled, looking around for the camera until he saw a blinking red light to the left of the canopy. Slipping the data storage tag free of his collar, he held it up to that camera. “For your information, I am 'an honest turian'.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just had to do a couple of fun chapters here before we jump back into the heat of battle.


	72. The Hand of Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard tries to catch an hour or two of sleep before Garrus returns to the Normandy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really short chapter.... nightmares....so fun...

Running, tracking her target, trying and failing to catch up to him. Always falling behind, never fast enough. Never strong enough. Never smart enough. Failure, that was what the nightmare meant. Everything around her turning to ashes as the Reapers burned through the galaxy. Everyone she had ever known or loved melting down into so much gray sludge right before her eyes. That was the fate of every living being in the galaxy and she felt powerless to stop it.

Shepard's will was all that kept her chasing after the shade of that dead child. The boy she had seen die on Earth when the Reapers shot down his shuttle. He represented her greatest failure even as he burst into flames before her night after night. The shades of the dead accusing her even as she passed through their circles. The ashen forest around her swirling to nothingness as an unfelt wind blew it apart.

All of that she tried to face, tried to stand up, tried to somehow prove it was only a dream. She was relatively successful with most of it. At least until Harbinger stepped out of the shadows. The avatar of the Reaper advanced on her with a singular determination. At first, she simply stood her ground. She tried to fight him in her dream, but her biotics failed. She could not grasp the dark energy that fueled them.

Gasping in shock and disbelief, she turned on her heel and ran from the glowing Collector. She had absolutely no intention of ever allowing him to touch her again. His touch burned like hellfire. It would burn through the hardsuit she wore.

No matter how hard she pumped her legs, she could not pick up speed. Harbinger was gaining on her, dripping golden jewels of super-heated plasma. She could almost feel its breath on the nape of her neck as time slowed even further.

“We are your genetic destiny. We have found another way.” Harbinger growled in her ear as its hand snagged hold of her arm.

Shepard bit back a shriek as she shot straight up in bed. Her hand clasped over her left forearm. As her breathing settled into something much more acceptable, she removed her hand and stared at the blistered hand print burned into her arm. It did not fade away as the other had. This one, at the slightest touch of her hand had already started to bleed around the edges.

“ _Fuck.._.” she gasped out on a shuddering breath. Med bay, that was where she needed to go.

After another minute, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and headed toward the door. An hour, that was all the sleep she had gotten, she realized as she checked her omni-tool. It was better than nothing. She would get more once she tucked herself into the safety of Garrus' arms later. Only in his arms did the nightmares ever seem to leave her in peace. Much as he denied experiencing any form of sleep disturbance, she knew the same was true for him. He slept soundly tightly curled around her.


	73. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus sees Kaidan heading for the Normandy's airlock as his blood begins to boil in anger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a touch of pre-Citadel coup Garrus/Kaidan drama. Short chapter.

_Kaidan._ It was an angry snarl that resonated through his sub-harmonics viciously as he saw the human making his way toward the Normandy's airlock. The man stopped and leaned against the railing not far from the door. Garrus meant to have a word with the human about respecting boundaries. Turians were very territorial over their bondmates. They did not take kindly to anyone manhandling them for a certainty.

At the thought of the earlier confrontation, his mandibles drew in tight and his brow-plates dropped low over his eyes. A couple of humans who saw him walking their way, gasped and got as far out of his way as possible. The look on his face was positively deadly.

He ignored the other humans around him, his attention completely focused on the major. There was no way he was allowing that man to board the Normandy again. Not in this lifetime. Shepard did not need that kind of added stress. He knew this man and he knew the human would throw himself at her every chance he got. It would not matter that she was now legally bonded. Not to him.

“Garrus....” Dr. Michel called when she saw him. She came running toward him as he headed for the man. “Garrus, don't do anything rash.”

Why she was on the docking level he did not know, nor did he care. He knew she had seen the incident earlier. She might call C-Sec, but he doubted it. People cleared from his path quickly. Even the keeper seemed to pick up its pace before him.

“What are _you_ doing here? Haven't you _done_ enough?” Kaidan asked, no longer leaning on the railing.

“Not nearly....” the turian growled as he stopped before the man.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Kaidan snapped.

“You _really_ don't want to touch Shepard again.” Garrus said casually.

“She'll come back to me, you know. When she gets tired of you. She'll eventually realize what _you_ can never _be_.” Kaidan sneered at him.

“Riiight, because I'm not _human_. Hmm...that's why she just signed a bonding contract with me.” Garrus let that sink in for a minute with a disgusted laugh. Then he leaned in just a fraction. “That's why it became completely legal a couple of hours ago.”

“I don't _believe_ that.” Kaidan said sounding a little doubtful of his own words.

“Believe it. It happened and now she's _legally_ my bondmate.” Garrus glared down at him, meeting his eyes, he said simply. “ _Never_ touch my mate again.”

“Or what? What do you think you're gonna do, _cuddlebone?_ ” Kaidan threw out the racial slur as if he had been doing so his entire life. He glared right back up at the turian. “What are you gonna do when she finally comes to her senses and leaves you....for me?”

Garrus was nearly vibrating with anger as the man continued to verbally push him. He had begun to realize this might not have been the best of ideas. This man was bringing out the territorial predator in him.

“When she does, I'm gonna give it to her _real_ good, make her remember what a _man_ can do for her. A _human_ man. She'll forget you ever existed.....” Kaidan kept going.

Garrus snapped. The images the man's words invoked tripping that deep seeded part of him that would forever be Archangel. He grabbed the human by the collar of his hardsuit and headbutted him viciously before shoving him back against the railing and turning toward the airlock. Before he stepped into it, he glanced back and said. “Touch her again and I will _end_ you. It'll be ugly,.....messy.....and _so_ much _less_ than you _deserve_.”

“Fuck you...!” Kaidan raged as he struggled to remain upright against the railing. He rubbed at the bleeding split between his brows.

“Not even in your worst nightmares, Alenko.” Garrus growled viciously and slipped inside the airlock.


	74. A Honeymoon of Sorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus has been doing some research into romance, both turian and human forms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a response to Fluff-uary. It could be better, it could be worse and it could have had more than a hint of smut, but...meh.. Enjoy. [We'll be getting back to the main story outline soon enough]
> 
> Couple of minor spelling/grammar fixes here.

Garrus tried to calm down when he hauled his footlocker up to the captain's cabin. She was not in the mess hall nor was she in their quarters. Breathing a sigh of relief, he found that to be a perfect situation. It gave him time to push Kaidan out of his mind as well as set something into motion he had been planning since early that morning.

He stepped out to one of the many shops on the Citadel still carrying a number of flowers grown primarily on Palaven. The idea that those few precious plants might be all that remained of the species was never far from his mind as he bought a few of them. The war had not yet truly come to the Citadel and a great many things were still being taken for granted. Those flowers were similar in scent to the Earth rose, or so some of the human crew had told him. To him, they represented peace, harmony and home. His mother had kept them around the house when he was a young child. Tonight, he planned to add something else to that list of comforts.

Poking around the other shops, he came up with the rest of what he was looking for and made one more stop before returning to the Normandy with the items. His research had been quite interesting over the last few months. Now that Shepard was officially his bondmate, he planned to show her exactly what he had learned and how much she truly meant to him. She still was not in the mess hall when he made his way to the battery for the last time that night. He did not find her in their quarters either so he went about setting up his surprise.

*

Shepard had spent the better part of the evening in the med bay having the burned hand print across her forearm regenerated. The dermal regenerators still were not working properly with her cybernetics, but anything was better than a raging wound. She was tired with little else than flopping across the bed and dying for the night on her mind when she entered their quarters.

The moment the door slid open, she froze with a sharp intake of breath. The lights of the fish tank were dimmed down to almost nonexistent and there were a number of candles set along the wall leading down the steps. The flower scent she had noticed on Palaven permeated the air with that honey dipped rose aromatic. There was soft music with faint base playing as well. Something from Earth's ancient libraries, unless she missed her guess.

 _Ok, what's he up to...?_ That was the first thought on her mind as she stepped in. she did not see him until she reached the top of the stairs. He stood near the foot of the bed in an outfit she had never seen. She thought it might be the equivalent to a turian tux. Either way, she was pretty sure she could get used to that one. Classic black and white looked great on him.

“What's....going on, Garrus?” she asked as she stopped before him and glanced around. She took note of the bottle of wine sitting on the coffee table with a pair of glasses near it.

“I...uh.... I wanted to....uh..... show you some of the.....research.....I've been doing.” Garrus stammered softly.

*

Garrus watched her half smile and half chew her bottom lip as she looked at their quarters. He felt nearly as nervous as he had during their first encounter. Wondering for a moment, he thought of how she might react to the additional turian script on his carapace. His mandibles spread slightly when he realized she would not understand its meaning. He meant to teach her, if she was willing. Once the war was over, they would have the rest of their lives to love and learn from each other.

“It's breathtaking, Garrus.” Shepard sounded just a little breathless as her eyes came back to his.

“I'd hoped you'd like it.” he said quietly as he ran one hand down from her shoulder to her elbow. The other he slowly brought out from behind his back.

Shepard let out a breath of surprise when she saw the deep purple flower cupped in his palm. He took her hands and gently laid the large blossom in the cup her palms made. The silken pedals were in full bloom and the fragrance was at its most potent level.

*

The huge flower he had just cupped her hands around was the source of the honey dipped roses scent. It was an exquisite specimen, to say the least. She was not sure she had ever seen anything quite like it. Glancing form it to him, she realized her turian's face was somewhat unreadable.

“I'd hoped to...uh.....re-inspire....a certain......mood.” he said as he took one of the outer pedals that had fallen away and ran it across her left cheek lightly.

The action itself, as much as the silken feel of the pedal, sent a shiver through her as it brushed across the ink stain near her ear. She tried to shift the large blossom into one palm so that she could cup his face and instead ended up with pedals fluttering everywhere. The second they began drifting toward the floor, Garrus wrapped one arm around her and pulled her close.

A gasp escaped her at the action as she realised she liked this new, confident turian who was suddenly toying with a lock of hair that had slipped free over her ear. This was what she saw in him on the battlefield. His awkwardness was cute and endearing, but she loved him desperately for the thoughtfulness and confidence he showed her on a day to day basis. She could not pinpoint exactly when it had happened, when her best friend had transitioned into the love of her life, but here he was. He gave her that much more to fight for in the war against the Reapers.

Shepard realized the instant his mouth plates pressed gently against her lips that she would fight the Reapers single-handed for him if she had to. She would fight for his right to exist and she would sacrifice everything if it meant he might live. He rested his plated brow against her forehead for a moment and she lost herself in his scent.

*

The night seemed to fly by for Garrus the moment she entered their quarters. He put some of the odd bits of his research into action. Until he had actually tried it, that bit about the 'rose' pedal had sounded bizarre to him. The moment he had traced it along her cheek and seen the shiver pass through her, he understood. He had always known human flesh was more sensitive than turian plates, but he had never realized just how much more.

There were a number of other things he tried that nearly drove the woman wild. Some drove her completely over the edge of control and he found he greatly enjoyed a wild Shepard. She had always been bold with him, but cautious. He realized she had been so careful out of fear of somehow hurting him. His plates were stronger than she thought, as was he.

When they finally sated themselves in each other, he stretched out, relaxing partially on his side. She crawled over him and carefully positioned herself with her head tucked against the lowest edge of his cowl, right where his collar bone jutted from it. Wrapping his arms around her with a deep sigh, he did not see how that was comfortable for her, but he had learned not to question his weird human too much about it. She was determined to snuggle with him. Turians, by nature, were not snugglers. It was true of most of his species, but he was not a typical turian. The hours they spent locked together like this were some of the most peaceful moments of his life. He would not trade any of that time for the entire galaxy.

As Shepard's breathing shifted toward deep sleep, his mandibles spread in a faint smile. All his research had paid off in a big way. She had called this night a honeymoon of sorts. Since they could not properly celebrate their union in a more traditional way, be it turian or human, this was the next best thing. He had been determined to make their first night together as a bonded couple as special as he possibly could. Clearly it was a great success. She had stretched herself out along the length of his body, wrapped her arms around his carapace and was now sound asleep. That after the meal, the wine and the multiple rounds of 'sheet sparring', seemed a good start to him. Garrus was asleep before the thought of a Reaper ever entered his mind.


	75. Bottled Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard gets an idea of just how disturbed her new bondmate's sleep really is.

Shepard woke with a start to Garrus thrashing in his sleep. She had rolled away from him at some point. It was surprising that he was still asleep. Normally he was up long before her. Just as suddenly as the thrashing had begun, he bolted awake with an ear splitting sound ripping its way out of his chest. He sat there, leaning forward, elbows draped over his knees with his face in his hands.

Sitting up, she scooted close to him, but did not touch him. She knew nightmares intimately. After some, you did not want to touch the sufferer until they were completely aware of their surroundings again.

“ _Spirits._...” his whisper was hoarse, ragged from the cry.

“You ok?” Shepard asked, carefully putting her hand on the unplated section of his shoulder joint. She dislodged a silken purple flake stuck to him and realized there were still remnants of the flower pedals he had strewn across the bed surrounding them.

“Hmm....” he rumbled as he peeked at her from around his left hand. After a moment, he dropped his hands and simply sat there, leaning on his knees. His voice was quiet and rough from sleep when he spoke again. “Waste of good sleep.”

“Wanna talk about it?” she asked softly.

When his eyes met hers, she saw raw pain in them. Some part of her knew exactly what he must have been dreaming about. _Alchera, it has to be. I can't see anything else about this war causing him that much pain. Not when I know he saw that monument. He's gonna bottle it up though, I can see it coming._

“Not really......if it's all the same to you.” he shook his head faintly.

“It's ok...” she said after a moment and scooted into the space between his knees. Rising up onto her own knees before him, she wrapped her arms around him. A heartbeat later she felt him bury his face in her shoulder. His arms carefully squeezed around her as he let out a shallow breath.

The idea was to head for Alchera once they left the Citadel and drop off the memorial monument Anderson had ordered loaded into their cargo bay. Now, she realized it needed to wait a little longer. She knew Garrus had helped load that thing hoping to bring the Ymir mech on board. He must have taken a peek inside the crate and seen the plaque. That would have been more than enough to trigger her bondmate's nightmare.

“I'm fine, Shepard.” he said softly, sounding much calmer as he ran a hand through her hair.

Leaning back on her heels, she looked his face over critically before nodding. That desperate edge of anxiety in his eyes had dulled down. If he were human, she knew he would have been pulled from active duty long ago with the kinds of PTSD symptoms he was exhibiting.

“I've got some things to do later....” she began as she lovingly ran a hand over the scarred side of his face. “Why don't you come with me.”

“I...” he started and closed his eyes, nodding. “...can do that.”

“Good. Aria's hole-up at Purgatory. I received a message from her yesterday. She's 'summoned' me, if you can believe that.” Shepard let out a faintly digusted laugh at the idea of being summoned by a criminal.

“ _Spirits_.......” Garrus locked eyes with her, concern radiating from him in waves. He did not miss a beat before continuing with an idea. “Maybe we should go have a couple a drinks. _Casually_ see what trouble she's stirring up.”

“Agreed. I plan to find out why she's here. It can't be good. There are rumors she's been here nearly a month.” Shepard said as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood. She held her hand out to him a few seconds later. “Come on, handsome. Let's get showered.”

His mandibles widened a fraction at that and he took her hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a short chapter before leading back into the thick of things. =)


	76. Purgatory Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard goes to Purgatory to find out why Aria is on the Citadel and what exactly she wants.

Aria was not hard to find. All they did was look for the trouble that was bound to be brewing around her. Shepard heard the immigrations officer before she saw her. The woman sounded irate.

“So you admit you and your thugs are here illegally.”

“Yes and it only took C-Sec _three_ weeks to figure it out.” Aria sounded pleased with herself and irritated with the other woman at the same time.

“I don't care who you are – you're required to go through processing like all the other refugees. Come with me.” the officer snapped.

“I don't think so.” Aria said smoothly. She glanced toward her 'assistant' just as Shepard was making her way down the stairs. “Get me the asari councilor.”

The human male pulled up his omni-tool, tapped a few keys and a moment later a holographic image of Tevos appeared before them. She clasped her hands behind her back. “Greetings, Aria. Is there something you need?”

“I'm being _asked_ to submit to _immigration processing_.” the silken sound of Aria's voice betrayed her disdain for the whole process.

“Of course you are.” Tevos said and looked down, reaching for something just out of sight on her end of the comm. A moment later, she looked back up at Aria. “Done. What else can I do for you?”

“Nothing. Thank you.” Aria said with a half smile.

“My pleasure.” Tevos nodded before closing her end of the comm.

Aria turned her attention back to the immigration officer, her eyes narrowing. “I think we're done here.”

The other woman shook her head angrily and stormed off just as Shepard took a seat on the couch near the asari. Garrus stopped near her, refusing to take a seat. It was clear he meant to be ready for anything.

“Enjoy the show, Shepard?” Aria asked smoothly, her eyes sliding toward the turian. Her voice dropped lower as she acknowledged him. “Archangel....”

Garrus narrowed his eyes, mandibles drawing in tight at that acknowledgment. He nodded, but remained silent. His eyes remained sharply pinned to the asari, however.

“I guess there's one rule on the Citadel, huh?” Shepard asked as she settled into the couch. She had to admit, it was a comfy seat.

“I guess so.” Aria replied. “I hate this place. So sickeningly uptight.”

“Then why are you here?” It was a simple question, but Shepard did not expect to get a simple answer from the woman next to her.

Aria stood and paced toward the other side of the alcove, crossing her arms. Every line of her body screamed anger. “Cerberus stole Omega from me. The Illusive Man is now squarely at the _top_ of my shit list. He will pay for every _second_ I've spent in this bureaucratic hellhole.”

“How did Cerberus run you out of Omega?” Shepard shifted in her seat slightly. Her eyes strayed toward Garrus. His eyes were locked on Aria, mandibles tight to his face.

“Deceit. Distraction and a big fuckin' army. They lured me away from Omega and ambushed me. I escaped, but Cerberus had already laid siege. By the time I could launch an assault, they were too entrenched.” Aria looked up toward one of the upper levels of the club.

“At least you escaped to fight another day.” Shepard knew that statement might just set the blue woman off as she shifted again. _Ok, I was wrong. This couch is not that comfortable_.

“And that day is coming.” Aria finally glanced back at her. Finally, she turned to resume her seat. “I'll take Omega back, but I'll get to that. You're here because I have a proposition.”

“I'm listening.” Shepard said suspiciously as she watched the other woman take her seat once more.

“The way I see it, if you don't defeat the Reapers, we're all dead. Won't matter where I'm sitting.” the asari made eye contact with her then before glancing away again. “It's in my interest to help you.”

“Uh-huh...exactly what are you offering, Aria?” Shepard asked, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees.

“On Omega, I kept the Blood Pack, Blue Suns and Eclipse in check. Now they're running amok. Nobody wants that. Unite them, under my rule, and you'll have a powerful and ruthless force for your war. I've laid the groundwork with all three groups, I just need you to close the deals.” Aria kept glancing at her, but refused to maintain eye contact for long as she laid out her plan.

Shepard thought about it for a minute. It made a certain kind of sense and against her better judgment, she agreed. “If they'll fight Reapers, I'll take them.”

“Now that's a bottom-line I can respect.” Aria looked her straight in the eyes on that one. “Meet with Narl, my agent who's dealing with the Blood Pack. The Blue Suns leader is incognito here on the Citadel – he'll be expecting you. And I already have a deal with Jona Sederis, the Eclipse leader. You just have to get your friend Commander Bailey to let her out of jail.”

Shepard leaned forward and let loose a faint laugh, “You _obviously_ don't know Bailey very well.”

“Bailey respects you. Lean on him.” she said coldly. “I think a united force of professional mercs is worth it, don't you?”

Shepard stood in irritation. _You're so full of shit, Aria....one day your blue skill will turn brown_. She did not say that to the asari, however. Instead, she nodded. “I'll see what I can get worked out.”

“It's always a pleasure, Shepard. Let me know if you want to talk later.” Aria put on her sweet voice. It was infuriating.

As they headed up the stairs, she caught the turian's eye. Garrus did not look happy. She did not address that until they were well out of Aria's ear-shot. Stopping near the exit, she looked up at him.

“You sure about this, Shepard?” he asked simply.

“No, but what choice do we have? We need everyone on this who can hold a gun. The more experienced, the better.” Shepard thumped her first against the wall she was leaning on.

“And who's more experienced than an army of mercs?” Garrus sighed. It was clear he saw the validity of the point.

“Exactly.” she confirmed.

“You're not _actually_ going to try to convince Bailey to release Sederis, are you?” he asked cautiously.

“Only if I have to.”

“Shepard, she's a lunatic.”

“That's what you said about Jack.” she reminded him gently.

“Sederis is a whole other level of crazy. You don't want her on the loose. Jack is just a little crazy. That asari is completely homicidal.”

“Sounds like you know her.” Shepard searched his face for a moment.

“You could say that. _I_ helped put her in that cell.” Garrus admitted with a nod. “I know what she's capable of. All I'm saying, is _be careful_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little more Garrus [AU - C-Sec] background in this chapter. I think it ties in pretty well.


	77. The Nut Job

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus stands off to the side, out of camera range while Shepard meets with Jona Sederis via vid comm.

Garrus waited just inside the door as Shepard marched straight up to Bailey's desk. He still could not believe she was actually considering asking the man to release on of the most dangerous criminals they had imprisoned in the bowels of the Citadel. Crazy did not even begin to describe Sederis. Taking her down had nearly cost them an entire C-Sec unit, himself included.

“Shepard, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Bailey asked brightly.

“Jona Sederis....know who she is?” Shepard asked with a tired sigh.

“Yes, I know her.” Bailey said cautiously.

“I need her released.”

“Damn.... You too? I've been delaying the Council's orders to release her the best I can. What's your stake in this?” Bailey shook his head.

“It's classified.” Shepard answered simply.

Garrus glanced at Bailey. _Damn, she's getting too good at scaling the webs of deceit. Spirits, protect her when the web shreds under her_.

“Yeah, that's a fancy way of saying mind your own business.” Bailey grumbled and glanced toward Garrus before returning his attention to the commander. “Look, there's no way I'm letting that psychopath out. That woman's unstable and a clear threat to the public.”

“What makes you think she's crazy?”

“She was a ruthless sadist before we caught her. Just ask your turian friend back there. He was in charge of the squad that brought her down.” Bailey nodded toward Garrus and the turian nodded back. “Imprisonment has cracked the shell clean off the nut.”

Shepard glanced back at him with a question on her face. He simply tilted his head to the side and nodded. There would be questions later and he would tell her everything he knew about Sederis and how she had nearly wiped out his entire squad.

“Maybe freedom will improve her.” Shepard suggested as she returned her gaze to Bailey with a shrug.

“Shepard,” Bailey said with a sigh as he rubbed at his temples. “She rages day and night, calling for the deaths of all Eclipse enemies. No, freedom will only give her the chance to kill again.”

“Alright... I'd like to judge her for myself. Can you arrange access?” it was becoming clear Shepard was beginning to see the dangers in releasing this woman. Garrus understood why she wanted to see her for herself, however.

“If it'll get the Council to resend the order to release her, I'll give you both access. They'll listen to you when you see she's too dangerous to release.” Bailey said hopefully. “My assistant at the C-Sec outpost will set up a connection to Sederis cell. Call me back when you've seen her.”

“Ok...” Shepard said with a nod as she turned back toward the door.

Garrus fell into step beside her as they exited the office. “I still think this is crazy.”

“So do I, but a little crazy might win this war.” Shepard stated as they headed down the stairs toward the elevator.

“I hope you're right. I hate to think what Sederis might do if she turns on those who release her.” Garrus grumbled.

“I haven't decided to release her yet. I'm just gonna talk to her, see how crazy she really is. If I think she's a menace, I won't even consider letting her out.” Shepard explained her intentions clearly enough that he relaxed just a fraction as the elevator took them to the level they needed.

As they entered the outpost, Garrus narrowed his eyes at the bare-faced turian behind the desk. Distrust of those with no facial markings was practically hardwired into his genes. He tried to overlook those feelings whenever he came across someone with no facial markings. In his experience, however, they almost always turned out to be shifty, untrustworthy specimens of his species.

“Commander Shepard, Bailey said you were on your way. I've set up a connection to Jona Sederis' cell. You can speak with her via that console.” the turian indicated the console behind him.

“Thanks.” Shepard said simply. “We'll need some privacy.”

The officer simply nodded and got up to leave the room. “Of course. When you're done, you can also contact Commander Bailey from that terminal.”

The moment the officer passed out of the room, Shepard pulled up her omni-tool to open the connection. Garrus stayed just off to the side and out of sight of the vid. It would not due for the asari to see him.

“Who's that spying on me now? Ah, I see – good. Aria's indentured servant has finally come to deliver me to freedom.” Sederis purred.

“I wanna talk with you before I secure your release.” Shepard said callously.

“Bullshit. You have no choice. And when I get out, heads will roll. Oooh, oh, yes.” it was clearly a crazy laugh as the woman touched one of the tentacles near her ear flange.

Garrus knew the stance and smiled to himself. Shepard shifted her weight to lean more on one foot than the other as she crossed her arms. Her head tilted back and slightly to the side.

Sederis continued to rave. “You've killed a lot of my people. Don't think I've forgotten that!”

“It'd be smart to bury the threats, Sederis.” Shepard growled at the blue woman on the screen.

“I'll toss them into the caskets with my victims. I _love_ holding all the cards! Even in here _you_ must deal with _me_ – I hold _all_ the _power!_ ” Sederis seemed to believe everything spilling from her own lips.

“Is that right?” Shepard asked with that seductive voice she used when someone was bordering on delusional. He suppressed a growl at that, however, as she regularly used a variation of the same tone in the bedroom.

Sederis laughed again. “Yes. Sayn, my assistant, is a weak-willed toady. If he had balls, he'd leave me to rot and take control himself. But he won't defy me. He knows better. Now get me out of here, Shepard. Tell Bailey to release me.”

Garrus could not read her the look on her face, but if he had to guess, he would have said she was irritated. He watched her change links with her omni-tool. The quick movements of her fingers and the pinching of the flesh between her brows told him what he had suspected was accurate.

“Bailey, I've seen Sederis.” Shepard spoke to the C-Sec commander.

“So she's crazy, right. It would be ridiculous to let her out.” Bailey's image came up on the screen, replacing the asari's.

“She's a menace. Let me try to make this problem go away.” Shepard growled.

Garrus breathed a faint sigh of relief at her words. He had hoped she would see through the Eclipse leader's barely veiled insanity. Sederis would remain safely locked away and no one else need die at her hands.

“Sounds good. I'll hold the line until I hear from you.” with that, Bailey cut the connection.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little AU here. I know Shepard does this alone, but....meh.... Given the AU history I hooked Garrus up with, it's more than appropriate that he be there.


	78. The Would-be Leaders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard makes nice with the leaders of each gang.

“Men, get ready for trouble.” Sayn climbed to his feet the moment he saw Shepard heading his way.

“I'm not here for trouble, Sayn. I just wanna talk about Jona Sederis' release.” Shepard held her hands up to show that she was unarmed.

The salarian signaled his men to stand down before facing her again. “Oh, you're the one coordinating that, right? My idea, you know? Aria came to me looking for Eclipse support. I'm leveraging it to bust the boss out.”

Shepard leveled her gaze on the salarian. He seemed smart enough to her. Certainly more sane that Sederis. “Sayn, you should run Eclipse.”

“Huh?” he shifted his weight and presented more of his side to her than his front. She knew this was a salarian habit from their days as prey.

“You can do it.” Shepard smiled and stepped closer to him. “Leave Sederis locked up and make the deal with Aria yourself.”

Sayn brought a hand up to his mouth in thought, a soft sound issuing from his throat before he spoke again. “Aria would be a step up. And you think she'd let _me_ run things?”

“I don't see why not.” Shepard shrugged.

“Right, right. Then that's the plan. Keep Sederis in jail – I'll call Aria right away.” he said thoughtfully.

“Good man.” Shepard nodded. The salarian seemed much better suited to her needs than Sederis.

Shepard left him to discuss his options with his men. She knew there was bound to be some unrest with that kind of shakeup. Sederis had been in jail for a long time now, it might not be as hard a transition as she was thinking. After all, Sayn had been running things in her place. Eclipse looked to him for guidance and that was one of the many reasons she had suggested he continue leading them.

It took some time, but she found out where Narl was hiding and headed toward the apartment. The second the door slid open, he was heading toward her. There was a determined look on the batarian's face she did not like at all.

“Quick, hands behind your back. They'll be here in a minute.” he grumbled as he approached her.

Shepard's eyes widened and she stepped into his space, glaring up at him. “What the _hell_ are you talkin' about?”

“Kreete, Blood Pack's leader. Aria brings him the great Commander Shepard and Kreete pledges the gang to her.” he paused long enough to shift uncomfortably at the look of death she gave him. “We're just here to lure him into the open so we can take him out.”

Shifting her weight and continuing to glare at him, Shepard snapped. “Not the best start to our friendship, Narl.”

“He's coming! Put your hands behind your back and – uh – try to look like I beat you up or something.” he sighed and looked around nervously.

“This better be on the up and up.” Shepard growled at him as she grudgingly turned her back to him.

When Narl pushed her, she nearly turned and took his head off. “Quiet!”

“Aria T'Loak even more powerful than Kreete thought. Her instructions on boarding Citadel undetected were one thing. Now this!” the vorcha growled as he stepped closer to look her over. “Commander Shepard! Want you to know your head will be hood ornament on my personal shuttle.”

Kreete smelled positively horrid. Vorcha generally did not smell great, but this one was seriously in need of an entire vat of soap. She fought down the urge to gag as he got right up in her face. Garrus might have taken him apart for just suggesting he meant to kill her. That was the very reason she had left him with the turian refugee camp before heading off to take care of the would-be leaders of the three gangs.

“Keep your distance, Kreete.” Narl growled at the vorcha as he slipped a gun into her hands. He stepped around to her side and asked. His attention, she noted, shifting to the green vorcha to the rear. “So....do you agree with Aria's terms?”

Kreete growled with a nod, “Most definitely. Aria can use Blood Pack as she sees fit.”

Narl sneered at the vorcha. “Wasn't talking to you, Kreete. Gryll?”

“What?” Kreete snarled and glanced around at his second in command.

“You have my word. Now open fire!” this vorcha seemed a little more articulate than Kreete, maybe smarter, if they were lucky.

Shepard whipped the gun around and blew a hole through Kreete's face. She ignored Narl as he dropped to a knee and took the other one out. As soon as they were down, she swung her gun on the last one standing.

“Not him! Gryll's next in line to take over. Aria's deal is with him.” Narl was quick to defend this one.

“Yes! Yes. I'm Aria's mole, Shepard. You've scratched my back, now I'll scratch yours.” Gryll barked, clearly hoping he was not about to die as the others had.

Shepard lowered her gun and stepped toward him. At least he smelled like he knew what soap was. “Word of advice: don't double-cross Aria.”

“I may be ambitious, but I'm not crazy.” he nodded.

“Uh-huh.” Shepard grumbled and turned back toward Narl, tossing him the gun. “Good work, Narl. Thanks for the gun.”

“Anytime, Shepard. Gryll and I will let Aria know the light is green.”

Shepard did not linger to see how that talk went. She had one more guy to find and deal with. He would be in the refugee center. Garrus would be the wildcard in this one if he was still there with his people. If things went south, he would be there. She was glad of that, but if they went just a little sideways, she hoped he remembered his C-Sec training.

Darner Vosque was not hard to find. She followed the docking bay all the way to the end, just past the turian section. He was leaning on a stack of storage containers, apparently waiting for her.

“Wow, Aria wasn't kidding – the great Commander Shepard on a leash.” Vosque sneered as she came up to him.

Shepard did not like this man already. She growled at him, pointing a finger toward him. “I'm here for my own reasons, Vosque.”

The sneer did not leave his face. “Sure you are. Anyway, tell her I'm impressed, but to do business, I still need my little problem taken care of.”

Narrowing her eyes, she stepped slightly back from him when he moved away from the containers. “Which is?”

“A turian general named Oraka has it out for the Blue Suns. He's raising a stink over our activity in this sector.” he paused, glancing around and flexing an arm with a sideways glance. “I'll commit my gang to Aria as soon as Oraka's dead.”

“There's more to this than Oraka's complaint, isn't there?” Shepard pried at the idea. She had not intention of murdering Oraka and anyone else to get this degenerate's help.

“We're making raids along trading routes. Little ones, nothing crippling. All with Aria's blessing, I might add.” his tone changed to sheer anger when he spoke of the turian again. “Oraka's just a fossil, came out of retirement to relive his military glory days and justify his continued existence. Losing him won't affect your war in the least, but gaining the Blue Suns... well, you know our work.”

She watched him prance for a moment as she narrowed her eyes on him. What he wanted, she would not do. “You _seriously_ think I'll assassinate a turian general?”

Vosque stepped closer and looked down at her, the sneer returning to his face. “Aria seems to think so, or why else would she send _you_? She knew the price. The two of you work it out.”

Shepard let out a faint grumble as he shouldered his way past her. She turned when he opened his mouth again. The man just did not seem to know when to leave.

“Oh, and... tell Aria, I still expect her blue ass in bed with me.” the laugh that came out of him was revolting. With that, he left.

Touching the implant near her ear, Shepard patched through to Aria directly. She had some things to say to the asari and the woman was not going to like it. The comment Vosque had made would be the least of those things, she was sure.

“What is it, Shepard?” Aria asked indifferently over the comm.

“You knew about this?” Shepard demanded angrily.

“Can you be more specific?” Aria asked reasonably.

“Vosque... He's expecting me to assassinate General Oraka.”

“Who cares what Vosque _wants_? What he _needs_ is for Oraka to stop disrupting his operations. I figured you'd _talk_ to Oraka, see if you can get him to lay off.” Aria paused, clearly for the dramatic effect she knew it would have. “And if he won't listen, call me, and I'll take care of it.”

Shepard was pacing, anger reaching the boiling point as she listened. “I don't see the distinction.”

“The distinction is that I'm _giving_ you the chance to save his life.” Aria purred.

“Right...” Shepard sighed. “Why didn't you just tell me this yourself?”

“Vosque needed to see you, needed to realize who he's dealing with. Plus, if I have to suffer that scumbag staring at my tits one more time, I might have to kill him.” that last was a disgusted growl.

Shepard could not help the self-righteous smile that crept onto her face at that. “Yeah, he mentioned that..uh – ”

“That I was going to _sleep_ with him?” Aria's laugh was anything by genuine. “We all have our delusions.”

Shepard grumbled to herself as the asari cut the connection. She had a turian to see and hopefully persuade to back off on the Blue Suns. The whole thing left a sour taste in her mouth. If she had to, she would warn Oraka that his life was in danger. That was her last resort, however. She knew this thing could go sideways fast if she was not careful.


	79. A Familiar Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus locates General Oraka and suggests Shepard take him with her for the coming meeting.

After a couple of hours of asking around, Garrus finally located General Oraka. With his upgrade in rank, he suggested Shepard take him with her for this meeting. He thought his presence might shift the cards in their favor. There was no telling the kind of pressure the man might already have been under with Vosque breathing down his cowl. Any pressure from him would not be good. It might make their job harder than it needed to be.

“So we're just going to _talk_ to Oraka, right?” Garrus asked cautiously. He had been concerned when she mentioned Aria's 'ultimatum'.

“That's the plan.” Shepard answered as they headed into the Commons.

“And......if he won't listen?” Garrus pushed. He needed to know where her mind was on this.

“I'm not gonna let Aria kill him, if that's what you're asking.” she stopped and looked up at him briefly before heading down the stairs.

Garrus nodded to himself. He could deal with that. Whatever else his bondmate might be, she was definitely not coldhearted. If, at all possible, he knew she would find a solution to this situation without bloodshed.

As they stepped down into one of the commons areas, he spotted the man sitting on a bench and did a double-take. He knew the general, they both did. Septimus, the general moping in his horosk over the asari consort a few years ago, sat in the very spot he had been told General Oraka frequented.

“Commander Shepard.” the man looked up from his lounging position as they approached. “And Officer Vakarian.....or is it _Praetor_ Vakarian now?”

Garrus cleared his throat uncomfortably. “It's just Garrus...”

“Well, be that as it may, you're still a fair shade higher on the ranking scale than you were when we first met.” Oraka patted the spot on the bench next to him. “Come, sit... let's talk.”

“You were pretty miserable when we first met, General Oraka.” Shepard said as she took the offer and sat on one side of him.

There was a faint laugh in his voice when he answered. “Yes.... neck-deep in drink just before I retired. I'm clean now. Reinstated.”

“I hear you're takin' on the Blue Suns.” Shepard wasted absolutely no time in getting to the point of their visit.

“I need to do my part for the Citadel, Commander.” the man shrugged and leaned forward, eyes locked on Shepard. “I'm putting a stop to their raids on C-Sec weapons shipments. If the war comes here..... _when_ it comes... The Citadel's defensive capabilities will be put in serious jeopardy without those weapons. Those mercs have to be stopped.”

Shepard gave him a sideways look. Garrus read it as a cautioning look. He was not sure how Oraka saw it. “There are other ways of securing weapons, General.”

“I've tried a number of methods, believe me. All have come up empty, even the black market. There's a dealer right here on the Citadel, but he won't sell his top-line arms. At least not to me.” Oraka sounded a bit peevish and with good reason. “If I can stop the Blue Suns....well, at least I won't feel so damned powerless. I can't stop the Reapers from destroying everything in their path, but I can help give the Citadel a fighting chance by securing those trade routes.”

“I know the dealer. A salarian. Hauled him in a few times over illegal arms. Last time I brought him in, he got off on a technicality.....police brutality.... I....uh....I wasn't gentle.” Garrus glanced toward the shops just down a short flight of stairs with a frown. It shamed him now to admit he had not been the best of cops.

“Then he may bolt if he sees you coming.” Shepard said as her eyes locked with his. “Let me see what I can do.”

“I appreciate whatever help you can offer, but I'll have a plan ready if things fall through.” Oraka leaned back into the bench, arm resting on the back casually.

Garrus stayed behind for a moment, watching her head toward the salarian and his shop. He intended to wait a few minutes only. Give her enough to time confront the man before he made his presence known. Once he was actively engaged with a potential customer, he was less likely to cut and run at the sight of his 'nemesis'.

“She know you love her?” Oraka asked casually from his seat, eyes trained on Garrus.

Glancing his way, Garrus nodded.

“She love you?” the general asked cautiously. Clearly his own experience with the asari consort driving that question.

Again a nod.

“If I were you, son, I wouldn't waste another minute. Bond with her today, if she'll have you. Those damn Reapers could be here tomorrow.” Oraka said forcefully.

“Hmm...already done.” Garrus admitted and pulled the carefully hidden data tag from the collar of his armor to flash at the man. The instant he was sure the man had seen it, he tucked it safely away again.

Oraka chuckled with a nod as the skin around his eyes crinkled. “Good lad.”

Garrus was about to step away when the general spoke again. “Your new rank doesn't have to be a noose around you neck. Use it. Take advantage of the privileges that come with it. Don't squander them the way I did my own.”

“I'll....uh.... I'll keep that in mind...... and......thanks.” finally he did head down those stairs toward Shepard.

“I don't want trouble, Commander. I'm authorized to sell arms on the Citadel. Everything is legal.” Kannik was saying.

“Where's you top-line weapons, Kannik? You know, the ones you sell to 'select' customers?” Garrus asked from the kiosk he had stepped in behind. For effect, he had removed his gloves and was picking between his teeth with a talon.

"Shit! That old turian with the bad attitude slummin' for C-Sec? He call you to haul me in again, Vakarian?” Kannik snapped, eyes growing round and large as he watched Garrus practically chewing on one of his talons.

Garrus looked up at him lazily as he picked something loose from his talon before pulling his gloves back on. “Guess you haven't heard; I'm not with C-Sec anymore.”

“Alright, fine! I got much better stuff, but it's _off_ the market. Galaxy's going belly up – credit won't mean anything once the Reapers rip through.” Kannik's words took off at FTL.

“So, what exactly are you saying?” Shepard asked, a slight edge to her voice.

Garrus was sure that edge was meant for him, but his appearance had gotten her the answers she needed. Plus, he now had proof that most the criminal element on the Citadel had no idea he was no longer C-Sec. He could definitely use that to his advantage.

“Whatever happens, I figure there'll be survivors – but it'll be chaos. I'm betting things will run on a barter system.” Kannik smiled and rubbed his hands together. “So, I'm getting a jump. My best stock only trades for hard goods and artifacts with real value.”

“So what gets me access to your top-shelf?” Shepard asked, leaning on the counter.

“Heh, the old turian just waved credits in my face and then spat on it. Nice to see you have some flexibility.” Kannik laughed as he moved away from the counter a step.

Garrus covered his mouth at the salarians words and suppressed a snicker. _If you only knew, Kannik. On second thought, best you don't. I'd have to skin you where you stand_. _Good thing salarian liver is a krogan delicacy._ From the glare Shepard shot him, he knew she had heard. He was going to pay for that one later, he could see it in her eyes.

“If you find any rare pieces while your out saving the galaxy, bring them back. I'd be happy to show you and C-Sec my stock then, no problem.” Kannik continued completely clueless to the exchange of looks between them. If he was aware, he at least had the good sense to keep it to himself. “Outside of that, I gotta stick to my guns.”

“Actually, we already have a couple of rare pieces.” Garrus said casually.

Shepard turned and gave him a hard look. It was clear she had no idea what he was talking about. Why would she? She had no idea what he might have in his personal possession. He was loathed to part with old family heirlooms, but this was for a good cause.

Opening a compartment in the side of his chest plate, he pulled out a couple of small religious turian artifacts that had been in his family for centuries. As the only male heir, they had been passed to him when he came of age. His father might not be happy to hear he had let them go, but if it meant saving lives, he would understand.

Placing them on the counter, he watched the salarian snatch them up and look them over. After a moment, Kannik nodded and glanced up at the two of them with a look of awe. “Done deal. Tell Oraka to come see me. He and C-Sec should be very happy.”

They left the salarian with the artifacts and headed back toward the general's location. Shepard caught his eye and he stopped on the landing of the first set of stairs. He leaned on the railing and looked out over the presidium reservoir thoughtfully.

“We could have given him something else.” Shepard said softly, putting her hand on his armored shoulder.

“Shepard, it was just old clan stuff.....” he said, an unexpected catch in his voice at the loss of the items.

“That's what I mean. You didn't have to part with those like that.” she tugged on his shoulder, encouraging him to face her.

“Hmmm....it's fine, Shepard.” he did face her as he carefully thought out what he was going to say next. His voice was barely more than a whisper when he ran a gloved talon down her cheek. “If it's not a giant gun, .....or you....... I can't see a relic helping much in this war anyway.”

Oraka was still sitting leisurely on the same bench when they returned to him. He looked up, a slight spreading of his mandibles when he saw them approaching. “Commander Shepard. You're a miracle worker. I don't know how you managed it, but thank you. The black marker dealer who's been snubbing me all day just contacted me. He's already begun donating high-end weapons to C-Sec. He wanted you to know he's on top of things.”

“That's good news.” Shepard smiled at him. “Does that mean the Blue Suns can go about their business?”

“I'll turn a blind eye to their activities.... so long as they remain _small_ raids. It'll give me the chance to focus on Citadel defenses. It won't bring Palaven back, but...... it's something. Thank you again, Commander.”

As they parted ways with Oraka, Shepard touched the implant near her ear. “It's done, Aria. Oraka has agreed to back off.”

Garrus could not hear the asari's end of the conversation, he did not need to to understand that Aria would allow Oraka to continue breathing. Giving up those religious figures was a small price to pay for saving even one life. It replaced the sense of loss of his mother's figures with something akin to satisfaction. He thought he could live with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This felt to me as if Garrus would know that most of the criminals on the Citadel with his past in C-Sec. It just felt right to give him this chapter, for the most part.


	80. Pureblood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liara finally meets her 'father' formally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was an interesting chapter, especially since I have not actually seen this particular dialogue in my own game….yet.

Liara sat staring out across the Presidium reservoir, the data pad in her hand nearly forgotten. Her attention had been divided since she since sitting down in the cafe. She sat with her back to the kiosks on purpose, but even still, she could feel the eyes boring into the back of her head.

Glancing down at the data pad, she heard footsteps heading toward her. It was almost a relief to hear Shepard's voice when the woman drew up beside her chair. Another kind of distraction would be better than the awareness from behind.

“Still working?” Shepard asked casually.

“One call leads to another. And here I was hoping I'd have time to enjoy the view.” Liara side as she virtually tossed the data pad onto the table before her. Standing, she moved toward the railing and looked toward the scarred relay monument. “The last time I saw the Presidium... remember how it was? Rubble and ruins after Sovereign's attack.”

“I barely saw much of the it before half of it was crushed.” Shepard admitted.

“And by the time they repaired it, it was time for the next invasion.” Liara put a hand on the railing and thumped the toe of her boot against the bottom of it. Turning back toward Shepard, she looked her face over critically. “The Citadel hasn't seen the _reality_ of the this war yet. We should stock up on necessary supplies while we have the chance.”

“Such as?” Shepard asked, cocking her head to the side.

The corners of Liara's mouth twitched at the gesture. The commander was picking up so much of her new bondmate's body language. She was sure the woman was not even aware of it. Glancing back over the reservoir, she began to list those supplies they were going to need. “Eezo, heavy arms, mercenary groups.”

“I've been working on gaining the support of a few merc groups. We'll get the people. Take a moment for yourself here and there. It won't do any good to burn yourself out now.” Shepard said tiredly.

Liara thought the commander herself might benefit from her own suggestion more as she pushed herself off the railing with a sigh. “I know.... I know. But there's always just one more task or meeting...Speaking of which, you should talk to Barla Von, the volus banker. He'll point you toward some mercenaries willing to join us.”

Making her way back to her seat, Liara picked up the data pad once more. She glanced up at Shepard when the commander put her hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. “Let's have a drink, Liara. You need to relax and set the work aside for a few minutes.”

“I really don't think that's a good idea, Shepard.” Liara let out a breath. She was not about to tell the commander exactly who was tending that tiny bar back there.

“Suit yourself.” Shepard shrugged and walked off.

Liara watched her and tried to make a point of not appearing as she were watching. Not an easy task with her back to the kiosks. So she subtly changed chairs and turned her head enough to see the commander and the kiosks from the corner of her eye. She would be lying if she said she had no interest in what might transpire over there.

“Hey, I remember you. Shepard, right? Heard you're fighting the Reapers.” Aethyta had one of those voices that just carried everywhere. It helped that Liara's data pad had a built-in listening device.

“Matriarch Aethyta. You were workin' on Illium. How'd you end up here?” Shepard's voice was quieter, but Liara still heard her.

“Eh, with the Reapers makin' noise, I figured it was time to get somewhere safer, so I moved here.” Aethyta said sounding as if she were trying to cover something up.

“I don't think so. You see, I've seen some video footage... of you..... watching Liara.” Shepard was leaning on the counter and if Liara could have seen her face, she would have seen the hard look of warning there.

“Yeah....” Aethyta's voice was softer, almost a growl that sounded wounded. “Matriarch Benezia was.... um.... was her mother.... and... uh... well, she doesn't know it, but.... I..... was her father.”

“You mean you were her other mother, right?” Shepard sounded confused. Liara supposed that was a normal reaction from a dual-gendered species.

“No, I didn't pop her out. Hell, she's never even met me.”

“Sorry. If you were human, you'd both be called the mother, regardless of which one gave birth.” Shepard was looking sideways at the woman. Despite herself, Liara covered her mouth and suppressed a snicker at the human's discomfort.

“Well, I'm not human, am I? Anthropocentric bag of dicks.” Aethyta growled.

“Look, I'm sure Liara would love to meet you.”

“Why? She doesn't even know me from a hole in the ground. Benezia ran off before the kid was born. Besides, this isn't charity work. She's one of the biggest intel brokers in the galaxy. And she's got some shady connections..” Aethyta stepped closer to the counter, a determined look on her face that Liara did not like at all. “Like a girlfriend who used to work for Cerberus. Sound familiar?”

Shepard's stance changed dangerously at that suggestion. Liara caught the look on her face as she glanced back toward her. Her voice was bordering on a snarl when she finally spoke again. “I only worked with Cerberus to fight the Reapers.”

“And you're not involved with them now. If you were, you wouldn't get within a light-year of Liara.”

“Is that a threat?” Shepard asked. Clearly it was. Any fool could hear it in Aethyta's tone.

“I'm no commando, but I've had a thousand years to learn to fight dirty. Nobody messes with my girl.” Aethyta went back to scrubbing the counter before her. “Anyway, you combine her work with Benezia, and.., well, the matriarchs might have ordered a hit if I hadn't agreed to keep an eye on her.”

“Meet with her. She's probably more like you than Benezia.” Shepard pressed and her next statement sounded like an afterthought... or a warning. “I'm asking as her _friend_. And...you should probably check your sources. They're information is... a little.... lax. Liara and I have _never_ been a couple.”

“Yeah, we'll see how that goes...” the matriarch growled dismissively.

Liara closed down the listening device long before she was aware of Shepard returning to her table. When she came back down to her table and took a seat, the commander was completely unaware of what she had heard.

Shepard looked at Liara for a couple of long minutes before she spoke. “That bartender over there?”

“The matriarch hired by the asari government to track my movements?” Liara countered.

“She's your father.” Shepard stated, her words carrying a chilly edge.

“I know.” Liara said simply as she folded her hands on the table.

“You know?” that edge was harder in the commander's voice as she narrowed her eyes at the asari.

“I'm a very good information broker.”

“And you haven't talked to her about spying on you?”

“If I did that, they might send someone who wasn't as sympathetic to me.” Leaning back in her seat, she glanced over at the matriarch. “Besides, this is hardly the time for family reunions.”

“Liara...” Shepard called her on the bluff. She should have known the commander would.

“Fine....” Liara grumbled with a sigh and got to her feet.

Heading up that very short flight of stairs, her eyes locked on Aethyta. There were a number of things she meant to say to her, but nearly all of them withered away at the look in the woman's eyes. There was a faint smile curling the corners of her lips as well.

“Not here for a drink, are you, Liara?” Aethyta asked.

“I know who you are. And I know you've been spying on me.”

“Come on, you can't blame the matriarchs for keeping an eye on you.”

“I am _not_ my mother.” Liara snapped.

“You did threaten to flay someone _alive_ with your _mind_.” Aethyta reminded her.

“I had to make them take me seriously. I wasn't _actually_ going to do it.” Liara defended. “And... _you_ bugged my office on Illium.”

“That'd be the logical conclusion, yeah.” Aethyta admitted with what sounded like pride in her voice. “So... the matriarchs aren't going to do anything to you, especially in the middle of this damn war.”

“My reports don't show much activity from the asari military against the Reapers.” Liara felt the need to mention that bit of intel. Connected as her 'father' was, she might know something those sending the reports did not.

“Come on, you know how the asari work. Infiltration and sabotage.” Aethyta shook her head.

“But against Reaper forces, that's.....” Liara could not wrap her head around the notion of her people attempting to sabotage a Reaper.

“I know. About as useful as tits on a hanar. Good thing we've got the turians and the krogan to do the heavy lifting. Our people just aren't built for the front ranks.”

“It's just....” Liara dropped her eyes to the bar counter.

“Look, kid, let's change the subject. What do you wanna know about my side of the family? You know your grandpa was a krogan, right?”

“I'm aware of that.” Liara looked back up at the woman.

“So that makes you a quarter krogan.” the bartender smiled.

“That's.... not how it works.” Liara said in mild exasperation.

“I'm a thousand years old. I've had kids with hanar. Don't tell me how asari reproduction works.” Aethyta grumbled.

“Wait... I have a half-sister who's part hanar?” Liara was a little shell-shocked by that idea.

“I thought that wasn't how it worked.” Aethyta smiled.

Liara was finding the woman to be frustrating. She seemed to enjoy twisting the idea of how recombined genes worked. Honestly, she seemed to enjoy twisting anything.

“Well, just keep in mind that if you feel the urge to headbutt something, it's genetic.”

“I have never wanted to _headbutt_ anything.” Liara protested, but she could not dispute the desire to try it on the woman before her.

“Really? Not even a little bit? _Come on_.” Aethyta gave her a knowing smile.

“I do _not_ headbutt people.” Liara continued the protests.

“Alright, _fine_. Don't go all blood rage on me.”

“I might make an exception for you, however.” Liara grumbled irritably.

“That's my girl. I knew the krogan genes were in there somewhere.”

“Ugh...” Liara growled in frustration and took note of Shepard standing nearby trying, and failing, to not dissolve into uncontrolled laughter. “You're enjoying this, aren't you?”

“Oh, let your girlfriend be, kid. She could probably use the break anyway. All that seriousness is bound to twist her panties into a bunch.” Aethyta chuckled.

“Shepard is _not_ my girlfriend....” Liara protested.

“That's not for lack of tryin' on your part, girl. Eh.... it probably wouldn't have worked anyway. She's got a thing for spikes and sandpaper.” Aethyta tuned her attention to Shepard for a moment. “How's that goin' for you anyway? Your bondmate file down those sharp spurs on his forearms yet? Make sure he does. Those'll cause some nasty scrapes between the sheets.”

Shepard looked mortified and Liara snickered. Aethyta was right, she had tried to win the commander's affections more than once. When it became clear that Garrus was in love with Shepard, she had backed off. Too bad Alenko stepped in first. Garrus might have been with her on the CIC deck instead. He would have dragged her into an escape pod himself.

Liara allowed her mind to return to that day briefly. She had seen Garrus stumble out of the escape pod when the Alliance ship picked them up. He was in a daze as the rescue team tried to maneuver him around. She remembered he could not speak for several days, even his sub-harmonics had been silent.

Her attention was snapped back to the present by Shepard's voice. “I should go...”

“Make him file those down, Shepard.” Aethyta called with a laugh as the commander beat a hasty retreat. “Oh... yeah... young love. You keep looking, kid. There's somebody out there for you. Who knows, could even be a krogan.”

“I doubt that.” Liara grumbled. “I need to return to my work.”  
“You know where to find me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will continue in part three. 🙂

**Author's Note:**

> A Short chapter to start. Lots of feels... =)


End file.
